


The Ground is ours

by nightowl77



Category: clexa - Fandom
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Clarke lands on earth waaay before The 100, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Grounder Clarke Griffin, Grounder Jake Griffin, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-13
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-02-27 18:41:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 39,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22690414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nightowl77/pseuds/nightowl77
Summary: " I'm pregnant "These were the words that would change the course of history for those on the Ark and the infamous ground. Abigail griffin smiled brightly at her husband of two years now, Jake Griffin. She beamed at him as they both took in the blood results that sat on the table before them. Jake being the best engineer the Ark had seen in almost thirty years and Abby being a newly appointed doctor they where up on the Arks hierarchy then most.They'd met when they were young. Jake being 14 and Abby having just turned 15 and since the moment the two sat down next to each other in Earth studies they'd sparked an easy and inseparable friendship that blossomed into something more on Jake's 17th birthday when he kissed his best friend. The two became engaged a year after and married a few months later. Ever since they had been talking about starting a family and after a trip to medical they got Abby's birth control implant removed and where now staring at the words written on the piece of transparent plastic before them.And from this moment , their lives changed.
Relationships: Anya/Raven Reyes, Clarke Griffin/Lexa, Costia/Lexa (The 100), Finn ( The 100 ) / Raven Reyes, Jake Griffin/Original Character(s), Luna ( the 100 ), Nyko (The 100) - Relationship
Comments: 159
Kudos: 249





	1. The change

" I'm pregnant " 

  
These were the words that would change the course of history for those on the Ark and the infamous ground. Abigail griffin smiled brightly at her husband of two years now, Jake Griffin. She beamed at him as they both took in the blood results that sat on the table before them. Jake being the best engineer the Ark had seen in almost thirty years and Abby being a newly appointed doctor they where up on the Arks hierarchy then most. 

  
They'd met when they were young. Jake being 14 and Abby having just turned 15 and since the moment the two sat down next to each other in Earth studies they'd sparked an easy and inseparable friendship that blossomed into something more on Jake's 17th birthday when he kissed his best friend. The two became engaged a year after and married a few months later. Ever since they had been talking about starting a family and after a trip to medical they got Abby's birth control implant removed and where now staring at the words written on the piece of transparent plastic before them. 

  
Jake stared at his wife with the widest smile on his face and Abby grinned so hard that her face hurt but even if she wanted to stop she couldn't. The feeling she felt in her stomach and heart weren't so easily tamed. " I love you, Abigail Mary Griffin " Jake grabbed his young doctor by the waist and spun her around their quarters, discarding the results on the floor. Abby threw her brown head of hair back in a thunderous and unladylike laugh that resonated through her whole being. 

" And I love you Jake Lazarus Griffin " 

  
Months flew by and soon the Griffins had became a family of three. Jake holding his Wife's hand as she brought heir baby into their lives. Jake could see it already, him sitting with their child in their new family quarters and teaching the little one about the world and space and so so much more. He could feel it in every bone in his body as he looked to his sweat stricken wife giving her a painful smile as her grip on his hand tightened impossibly further. " Come on, Abby! just one more push! " Doctor Morrison Gabe said with a commanding tone. " You said that half an hour ago ,Gabe!" Abby grounded out which earned a chuckle from everyone present making Gabe look sheepish behind his mask. " Yes, but this time for real " he grinned as he prepared to receive the baby. He had been the one who had helped Abby become one of the youngest doctors on the Ark and had been somewhat of a role model in Abby's life after her own father had passed after her wedding to Jake. 

  
" Where have I heard that one before? " Abby groaned as she gave one mighty push and all at once she felt as if her heart had stopped when she heard the powerful scream from the babe that Doctor Gabe was now wrapping in a blanket. " She's a girl " he said with a bright smile as he handed her to her mother and father for inspection. " She's beautiful " Jake said in awe of the tiny human that he and Abby had brought into existence. he looked from the tiny girl, _his_ tiny girl to his wife with love beyond anything he'd ever felt before. " She's ours " Abby said staring into the bluest eyes she'd ever seen. Bluer even than Jake's and the tiny wisps of golden hair made her heart sore. 

  
That day the Griffins went home thinking that this was their happily ever after. That they would be a family forever and ever. If only they knew that their seemingly perfect family would only be prefect for another two years before everything would change and could never be the same again, or at least for a very very long time. but they didn't know that so they went about their lives for two whole years as if everything in on the Ark didn't matter as long as they were a family.   
Jake sat on a mat with Clarke who had taken it upon her self to scribble away in one of his work books. He kissed the crown of her head as she babbled somewhat coherently. The most he could make out of it was ' Dada ' and ' Lobe you '. Clarke had however yet to say the ' M ' word which Jake knew hurt his wife who seemed to be growing less content with ' Abba ' and ' Boctor ' as the days grew on and he knew just how to cheer her up. Vera Kane had the best collection of old Disney movies on the Ark. He just had to run down to engineering and when Abby got back from work he could borrow the projector. He knew that it would definitely make both his girls happy especially after how Clarke had first reacted to ' Moana '. 

  
And as per usual he was right, after a quick chat with Abby he ran down to engineering and was on his way to Vera's when he heard something similar to a gunshot. Turns out a rookie cadet had fired a shot of accidentally and had wounded a civilian. He knew his wife would be called in as the now Head Surgeon as he rushed back home. he almost made it when the whole station felt like it was shaking. 

  
In that moment his soul twisted into knots as blotted for his wife and child. Only to run straight into the arms of the Guard who blocked his path. " I'm sorry Sir, but we cant let you go "

  
Later he would discover that somehow a fire had started and in order to preserve the Ark's oxygen supply three living quarters had been ejected from the Ark. Including his own. That night Abigail Griffin went to sleep knowing that she had left her little girl with a friend when she had been called to surgery. She went to sleep knowing that she hadn't been there when her little girl was flung out of the Ark and then swallowed by the Earths gravitational force and then.. ... ...

The Griffins were changed after that and something inside of both Abby and Jake had changed and seemingly forever. 


	2. Found

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all your comments

Anya smirked as she drew her bow, her arm strained slightly as she kept her target in sight. A deer, with antlers that touched the sky, untainted by disformaties and it was a single shot away. She took a breath and let her arrow fly and she heard a satisfying sound when her arrow punctured the animals heart. A clean kill. She let out a joyous laugh as she sprinted over to her hunt and out into the clearing. She couldn't wait to rub this in Tristan's stupid face. At 12 she was already climbing her way to the top of their villages best hunters. She had already been scouted by Indra, the village chiefs daughter to be her second. while Tristan was working his way up to be a warrior Anya was working her way up to be a General. She wanted to serve her clan and protect her people the way her parents do.

" _Yu Gonplei ste_ _odon_ " Anya said as she pulled her arrow out of the animals chest. The grin plastered on her face was wide and triumphant. this would be the best hunt her village has seen this winter and she knew just what to do with the hide of the great beast, wave it in Tristan's _branwada_ face as she made it into a new coat. She looked up an was about to give thank to the Gods' when she saw several stars glimmer and glow brighter. she sighed and breathed in the cold winter air and - 

" _Keryon_ " Anya whispered as she stood and stared as the stars began to fall from the heavens. Anya's bow fell from her grasp. They were getting closer too close. Anya scrabbled for the horn at her side and blew it four times in short bursts and then two long resonating calls signalling for reinforcements. She thrust an arrow into the ground beside her kill and tied a piece of cloth to it to make sure no one took her kill and ran in the same direction as the falling stars making sure her tracks were visible to the warriors that would soon arrive. soon she would make it to a crash site. where she would find several bodies twisted and broken strewn about strange metal objects and large metal boxes.

She almost jumped out of her skin when Tristan and the other warriors arrived with a fuming Indra and in tow. " What the hell were you thinking,coming out here alone!? " That was not the reaction she was expecting from the chief's daughter. She was expecting to be scolding for blowing the horn in the first place but instead she only saw concern. " I- I- I saw something fall from the sky and - and " Anya said in her limited _Gonaslang_ and this time she did jump when she heard a sharp piercing scream that seemed to echo through the whole forest. " Weapons " Indra growled out lowly as she drew her blade from its sheath. Her braids swayed at her waist as she nodded to Anya who drew her bow with embarrassingly shaking hands. Indra gestured for Gustus and a young Quint to stay behind her. If there was anything that Tristan and Anya had in common was that they both despised Quint.

Quint was 16 and one of the strongest warriors in the village. He was also a little _nomonjoka_ that ran to the Chief with complaints about everything and the only reason Quint was tolerated because his family made fabrics and supplied coal for the forge. In the end she was paired with Tristan and Nyko who was the village healers apprentice at was the youngest one there, at age 10. Tristan gave her a lopsided grin as he brandished his dagger and only Nyko's eye roll kept her from breaking her bow over that idiots head that and it was a very nice bow. She smirked when Tristan jumped as another cry echoed into the forest and she could see the warriors around her tense as they neared the metal box that was the least damaged. Indra was the first to step into the wreckage and was the one to signal for everyone to lay down their arms.

" It's a child ! " Indra called out and Nyko rushed over after he determined that there were no other survives in this ... ... grave? " She's small, young maybe one or two ? " Nyko said in almost perfect Gonaslang as he inspected the child. " How did she survive the fall ? " Nyko asked as he inspected a seemingly shallow cut on the child's forehead. Indra looked back to the wreckage and cast her eyes down. " A man was cradling her in his arms, it looked as if he tied himself down and shielded the babe with his own body. I found the babe strapped to his chest " Indra sounded impressed at the mans efforts and after an argument, Indra and everyone were making their way back to the _Trikru_ capitol of Tondc.

Indra convinced her father the child was a gift from the sky, a fallen God-ling that was a good sign for their village and after much deliberation she became a ward of the village. They learned the Girls name was Clarke griffin from a drawing and pictures of the girl. The little one grew on the village fast even on the stoic chieftain and especially on Anya's mother, Anna and therefore Anya was tasked with watching the child more often than most. Even Tristan grew to love the child and would often endure Anya to play with the child.

She became known as " The Sky Princess "

and the Sky princess had everyone enthralled. Even the knew arrivals , Lincoln and his family who had just moved to the village were captivated with girl who fell from the sky. Including Lana , The head of the _Trikru_ Army and a newly made mother to a little Lexa who became the village's next darling along side Costia a child from _Podakru_ whose parents came seeking asylum after their village was attacked by a rival clan for their winter supplies.

The three were inseparable and would grow to be quite infamous among several clans.

One for Tragedy

One for Greatness

One for Death

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Drop a comment if you have any thoughts : >
> 
> chapters will be getting longer after this
> 
> Translations : 
> 
> Yu Gonplei ste odon ;  
> your fight is over 
> 
> Branwada ;  
> Fool
> 
> Keryon ;   
> Spirit
> 
> Trikru ;  
> Woods clan


	3. Alliance

" _Indra !!! Em ste hir Indra ! Indra !_ "

Clarke ran circles around the warriors feet tugging at her skirts and her braids. Clarke was four now and already she was quite the troublemaker already, which Indra mostly blamed Anya and Tristan for. Trailing behind Indra was Anya who carried a six year old Lexa on her shoulders. Lexa was equally ecstatic and was bouncing on Anya's shoulders, tugging on Anya's hair in every which way forcing Anya to move her head in order to keep it on her shoulders. " _Hod op , Leksa_ " Lexa kicked her legs lightly in apology and instead began tugging on Anya's ear and speaking a mile a minute as she spat out all sorts of stories about their soon to be arriving guests. Anya rolled her eye at Tristan who held Costia's hand as they all made their way towards the gates of Tondc.

Costia was the quietest of the three,instead she was humming a song while listening Tristan tell her about their guests. " I hope you're all ready, cause if this goes badly we'll have another war on our hands. " Indra said lowly in _Gonasleng_ which Anya was now fluent in unlike when she had first started learning the warrior's language. Two years after finding Clarke Trikru had become somewhat of a legend among clans. Blessed by the Gods , feared by the other clans. Which made the expression on Indra's face worrisome to both Tristan and Anya. The warrior hadn't said much since last night when the announcement had been made.

" You worry to much , Indra . " All heads turned at the sound of Lexa's mother, the esteemed warrior had her warpaint on and looked as if she was channeling the spirit of the falcon. A dark ' V ' on her forehead and two lines beneath each eye made up the warriors Kohl. Anya herself had chosen a more haunting design that seemed to scare Tristan a little. The boy in question had chosen a simple design , two vertical lines from his forehead to his jawline. Even Indra had her warpaint on. looking around the village Anya would see preparations being made. Tent's being erected, hunting parties getting ready and most of all, warrior's sharpening their blades.

" And you worry to little , Falcon - " Indra turned to look back at the warrior with no expression on her face whatsoever which earned a rare smirk from Lana which made Anya proud to be where she stood. Lana's story was one of legend and great sacrifice. She'd earned her name with her bow and dagger. She was known to strike fast and true , Anya had seen this first hand the year before when she took part in her first battle and watched as she took down scores of warriors in half the time it took most to cut down one man. Anya could see much of Lana in Lexa, the way she spoke and carried herself among others was a startling impression of her mother. But these rare moments when Lexa was just a child were what made Anya think of her as her younger sister. The way Lexa would play with Costia and Clarke would make her heart sore because sooner or later the three would need to grow up. They need to grow up in order to survive the world that they where in and Anya would do anything to protect them all.

" - don't forget who we are welcoming into our lands and what will happen if we fail our mission " Indra's voice shook Anya out of her own head and back to reality that and the sound of the horn being blown and she reached for Lexa and gently plucking the girl form her shoulders and placing her on the ground. Out the corner of her eye she could see Tristan gathering Clarke and Costia and handing them off to Lincoln and Nyko. Lincoln at eleven had become the village messenger and a victim of many of the young trio's many pranks and experiments. One in particular had lead to Lincoln having several bald spots on his head of black hair so large that he had chosen to cut his hair off leaving a Mohawk in its place. Anya herself had been a subject of the children mischief when her boots had been painted a bright pink and filled with honey and tree sap which ended up with her feet having to be cut out of her boots and her feet being softer than a babe's ass for weeks.

Lincoln turned to lead the children away to where most of the villagers stood in a corner of the square to watch the spectacle about to play out before them. Anya just prayed that there wouldn't be much of anything to watch. " Have no fear, Anya " Tristan said as he came to stand by her side and for once she welcomed his presences however she was annoyed that he could see her uncertainty but once again she was comforted by the fact that he too seemed to be scared. She had to admit that Tristan had become slightly less ... ... annoying as of late but to hell if she were to let him know that.

" oh please, you're the one who reeks of fear. Perhaps you would like to hold my hand ? " Anya wore her most cocky smirk and narrowed her eyes at Tristan, he laughed lightly and gave her an unsettling look " Only if you are offering" he replied with just as much bite which made Anya cringe as pushed past him to go stand with the other seconds and away from him. A silence dropped over the village as chestnut mares and golden stallions galloped through the gates baring the banners of _Sangedakru_. Warriors in red and brown animal furs sat tall on her mounts and leading them was the pharaohs daughter , the princess of _Sangedakru_ , Cairo .

She was as beautiful as rumor said. Her skin untouched by the _Sangedakru_ sun for months had turned pale and unmarred by scars. Her prowess as a warrior rivaled even that of Lana and Indra combined. Her eyes were a strange golden color with hints of amber, her frame was small and lithe and her hair was pulled back into a multitude of braids a red feather hanging from one of them along with the golden head piece she wore showcased her status. To warriors she was known as ' _Sandstorm_ ' and it was said she was just as harsh and fearsome as the name suggested she was. She wore customary riding gear and a fur cloak that looked as soft as a thousand feathers but what caught Indra's eye was the spear she carried at her side , the tip jeweled and sharp enough to pierce steel.

Her face was covered in the traditional red warpaint of her clan, eagle wings at her eyes and viper fangs on her chin and one hundred warriors at her back which included the infamous _Sangedakru_ Red Vipers , or more accurately, assassins. "Princess Cairo , Trikru welcomes you to our lands " The chieftain greeted in a booming voice, the bear of a man stepped forward and gave a nod to his daughter, taking in her unmarked face with a seriousness that few could not help but fear. Indra however didn't show a hint of fear as she took her place at the chief's side and placing the Trikru banner into the ground and stood tall. The warriors dismounted with ease and stalked over with the grace of wolves.

" And we are honored to be here, Chieftain " Cairo said in an accented voice and handed her spear of to one of her warriors before claiming the banner he held and thrusting it into the ground beside the Trikru banner. Anya was worried that others had brought weapons into their city but when she looked closely it seemed only the Princess had dared to bring a weapon into TonDc.

" In honor of your arrival we have begun the preparations for a fest " Indra said gesturing to the square as the party began to walk to the village center. " Well then , shall we begin to negotiate the terms of the alliance of _Sangedakru_ and _Trikru_? " The entire village seemed to let go of the breath they had been holding and cheered along with the _Sangedakru_ warriors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation :   
> Em ste hir, Indra ;   
> They are here , Indra 
> 
> Hod op Leksa;  
> Stop , Lexa 
> 
> Gonasleng ;  
> Warriors language / English 
> 
> I keep forgetting to translate at the end, sorry. =/ 
> 
> Drop a comment if you have any thoughts or questions : )


	4. Unkown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since I didn't post yesterdays chapter today I'll be posting two chapters.

Jake Griffin poured over schematics for the twenty - seventh time that day. It had been almost a decade since his little girl had been.. .. lost... and it had been three years since a man had committed suicide by launching himself to earth. What the ark didn't know was that the man had survived but transmissions had been cut and they had no way to contact the man to confirm what they had heard. Jake however had been scarping up every piece of scrap metal he could for the past three years to make a pod of his own. If that man survived then maybe... ... maybe Clarke had too. Maybe his little girl was alive. After all she wasn't alone, Marcus Kane's father, Alfred Kane had been the one watching her and Jake knew he was a good man, not to mention the five other lives that where lost, he had to have faith. He had to.

Over the past few years his relationship with Abby had been taking a strain to the point where they barely spoke or even see each other. Both parties blaming themselves. Abby burying herself in work and shutting Jake out no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't convince that it wasn't her fault. The two were drowning in ' what if 's and ' if only's. Jake intended to fix that. He planned to tell Abby of his plan as soon as he finished the pod. He would find their little girl. He would find his Clarke. He had to , he could feel it in his bones, his little girl was still alive and somehow he just knew it to be true. " Just you wait my little lion, I'm coming " Jake smiled down at the only picture he had left of Clarke from her medical file.

Too bad Jake didn't know that his wife was well aware of what he was doing. That she wanted to bury her past and not dig it up. Abby had been changed differently to how Jake had taken the loss of their daughter. While Jake remained mostly himself, he had also became determined to make sure the Ark ran smoother than water and in doing so he had found one particularly alarming problem. The ark would run out of air before the two hundred year mark when they would be able to return to the ground. Everyone would be dead before they would taste real air and he couldn't let that happen. There were too many innocent lives on the Ark and to simply let them die for the mistakes of a few would be something he couldn't live with. Not in good conscious and not if he wanted to believe that there was still hope for humanity.

Abby however believed that the man she loved had lost his mind. So she left him to his work and pretended that it was all one long extended project for the Ark. But the more she saw him, the more she looked into blue eyes the more she felt herself wither inside. Jake was a constant reminder of her failure. Of how she abandoned her daughter with the former chancellor, Kane . His son Marcus was one of her best friends before she met Jake and in the past few years Marcus had become a pillar in which Abby could lean against.

She felt guilty for being able to seek comfort in Marcus and not her own husband. It was just that she couldn't bring herself to open up to him. Not after what she'd done. Abby grew more and more reliant on Marcus as the months dragged on. For they both mourned for someone they'd lost. Marcus for his father and Abby for her daughter. The two could not see what was happening but Jake could and strangely he had no jealously or hate in his heart. He had no room for that, so he turned a blind eye to his wife and friend and instead delving into the depths of his work. He was so so close, a week or two and he'd have the pod launch ready.

He just needed a few supplies, some food rations and some water for sure and maybe a first aid kit. The rest he was sure he could come up with on earth. So over the course of the next few days he began traded some of his own things for rations and had starting saving water, he even went to Vera Kane and had stolen water that had supposed to have been for the tree. Jake had even traded in some of his baseball cards to get some extra clothes for his journey. Now everything he needed had been hidden in his office under a floorboard he had hollowed out. All he had to do was tell Abby. Which now he thought was not the best of idea's because lately Abby had begun to sound a lot like Marcus which worried Jake. He had no idea how Abby would react. He found this funny since they had always dreamed of life on earth and raising Clarke around the forest. Jake knew it would be a coin toss. That man that crash on earth could've died within a few days due to radiation and that's why communications had cut or maybe.. .. maybe there were survivors and Jake had to believe that.

This can't be all that's left of the human race could there ? Before he could get lost in his thoughts boots stomping their way towards him made him jump. Before he could reach the gun in his desk draw Jake Griffin was being arrested for crimes against the Ark and bribery. His screams and pleas were ignored as he was dragged before the council and Diana Sydney sentenced him to death in the morning.

He was later that night visited by his wife, her tear stricken face said it all.

She turned him in.

" I'm so sorry, Jake "

Her sniffled apology broke Jake's heart. How could he love a women who had betrayed him? a woman who lied and was going to have him killed? He didn't know the answer because he knew part of him would always love the mother of his child no matter what. Even when she pressed a wedding ring into his hand. " No, keep it " he smiled sadly as caressed her face. This would be the last time he would see it. " I never meant for this to happen " Abby whispered as she sat beside Jake in the prison he'd help build both literally and figuratively. Life was strange, he finally had all he need. all he had to do really was install the pressure regulator and he'd be good to go. now... ... well now there wasn't much he could do.

" It's alright Abby, you meant well. You always do " Jake could feel tears welling up in his eyes but not because he was about to die but because he had failed his daughter. He failed to raise her and see her grow. He failed to meet her first crush or scare off her first boyfriend. He failed it all. Now he was going to die. he was going to die and there was nothing left he could do to stop it.

" I'll talk to Diana, I'll get you into physic ward " Abby had gone to Kane who had spoken to a friend of his, Thelonius Jaha, a candidate for the next election. She never meant for this to happen. She just wanted to stop Jake. She couldn't let herself be the reason for his death She wouldn't do it. Once she got out of here she would march back to the council and demand that Jake be put in physic ward. Jake wasn't some lunatic she just needed help. He was ... ..

" No Abby, don't waste your time. promise me one thing - " Jake placed a kiss on Abby's forehead still donning a tragic smile. " Don't stop doing what you believe is right ? " Jake heard the footsteps approaching and before Abby could say anything else he got up and went to stand in the far corner of the room. He gave Abby one last broken grin when they guards burst in and dragged Abby out in sobs and denial.

She needed to tell him. Of the second daughter she had, with _Marcus Kane_ . A daughter who would be turning ten. She needed to tell them that when the Ark had been awash with sickness and she'd been stuck with dealing with everyone in quarantine she was also pregnant at the time. She'd had a second child. A child that wasn't Jake's. Little Kiera was her secret. Something that Marcus and herself had been hiding from Jake and almost everyone. Even though technically a family could have only one child and when She was with Marcus it should have been legal but they couldn't take that chance .

But Jake would never know any of that and just as Jake was about to come to terms with his fate something caught his eye.

A control panel.

" I'm coming, Clarke "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Drop a comment if you have any thoughts or questions 
> 
> ; >


	5. Sealed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaand the second chapter of the day

Clarke sat next to Anna near the rivers edge hurtling pebbles into the water and watching as they sunk to the riverbed or got swept away. After two weeks of negotiations the two clans had finally reached an agreement. _Sangedakru_ would not attack _T_ _rikru_ or steal any _Trikru_ supplies, game or land as long as _Trikru_ did the same, which wouldn't have been a problem.

 _Sangedakru_ would fight alongside _Trikru_ if they went to war and vice versa and to seal the deal Clarke would go with Tristan and twenty other _Trikru_ warriors to live in the Sand nation for one year and Cairo's son, Ageria would stay in _Trikru_ for the same amount of time with the same amount of warriors. Clarke was conflicted. On one hand she got to go see _Sangedakru_ but on the other Lexa and Costia couldn't come with. So instead of mulling over it she distracted herself by coming her to sit with Anna who had been almost like a mother to her for the past two years.

" Did you know that Cairo has a daughter too, if I'm not mistaken Egypt is eight , its said that she's quite the good artist. Not as good as you though " Anna nudged the little one's shoulder which earned her a quirk of the lip from the blonde. Clarke stared at Anna taking in Brown hair with streaks of blonde, a face that may have been fierce but held a gentleness to it, and brown eyes that were an earthy shade. Strong arms and a tall frame, and that jawline and cheekbones.

Clarke took it all in so she would never forget.

" Don't be afraid -" Anna switched over to _Trigedasleng_ when she saw the slight look of annoyance on Clarke's face and she snorted as she continued. " - _strik prisa disha hukop teik oso kru kik raun_ \- don't cry little one " Anna was tackled into a hug and as soon as little arms were wrapped around her small tear tracks turned into streams she couldn't help but tear up too. She'd been there to teach Clarke _trigedasleng_ and she was there when she threw a fit when Lana insisted she start learning _Gonasleng_. She was the one to teach Clarke how to swim and she was the one who helped Clarke cover Indra's saddle in honey and fire ants.

Clarke had become a second daughter to her, a piece to help heal the whole her husband left. She could still remember it. Anya was only six when their region became flooded with sickness. _Azegeda_ saw this as weakness and choose to attack and Anya's father ever the brave warrior was the first to offer his blade to the chief. He went into battle with, Idina , Indra's mother and Pax who was Lexa's uncle and of course Lana had gone too, along with three hundred warriors, only ten came back. Indra lost her mother and Anya lost her father while she lost her her husband and Lana became known as 'Falcon'

In her grief and sickness Anna had lost her unborn child to the plague that had infected Trikru. So when Indra brought back Clarke she had been the first to hold the child and welcome her into the village. Now she would have to watch as Cairo took her into Sangedakru. Being so distracted by the crying child she didn't hear the soft foot falls approaching. she looked back to see Cairo free of red war paint and wearing simple clothes. brown leather pants tucked into well tailored boots and a simple white cotton shirt, the only thing that set her apart from everyone else was the quality of the clothes she wore and the gleaming golden circlet on her head.

" Would you mind if I tired to ease her mind ? "

Cairo's accented voice came out as gentle as the flowing water before them and Anna hesitated before saying yes and prying Clarke off her before going off to stand near the tree line a few yards away.

Cairo sat down next to Clarke and twirled a leaf in her hand. " You want to see the world but you don't want to leave your friends behind " Cairo said absently as she observed the Sky princess. She had chosen _gonasleng_ to test the child's comprehension. She'd seen Clarke listening in on many of their meetings which were mostly spoken in the warriors tongue. She had a feeling the blonde knew more than she let on, probably not to make her friends feel bad, or at least the Costia girl. The Falcon's daughter seemed to be catching on fast enough.

" _Sha_ " was her sniffled reply and Cairo wondered how long it would take for her to get the girl to speak Gonasleng. " So you are not afraid to leave this place and live with me? " Cairo pushed as she began folding the damp leaf and she could see Clarke glancing at her actions out the corner of her eye. Cairo had to admit she saw something in the girl, a power. a destiny for something great and if guided correctly the sky princess could rise higher in life, perhaps to the same plane as _Heda_ , she was already revered and whispered about among clans.

" _Ai nou fir raun_ " Clarke said as she threw another stone into the river and Cairo had to wonder if she refused to Speak _Gonasleng_ because she knew that most sand warriors don't learn Trigedasleng. She herself had only started learning when she was twelve and that was only because of her status but still Cairo had to laugh at the girls reply.

" Who told you that ? " Cairo chuckled as she continued to fold the leaf and carefully watch the girls face as she did so and after awhile the girl replied. " _Onya_ \- " Clarke stopped and swallowed before she continued in Gonasleng. " Anya said so " Cairo smiled to herself at the reply. She wondered about the girls family, perhaps they were still in the sky ? and if so, why would they send their child away? Did he have a bad destiny? no - no that couldn't be it , Cairo thought as she looked at the little girls eyes. She felt a connection to her.

" You have a daughter? " Cairo had to admit her accent was stranger when she spoke Gonasleng but the same could be said for herself. Though she had not been expecting she replied anyways. " Yes, Egypt , named after our nation across the sea, it takes many a moon to get there, but we have many villages on this side of the sea, mostly just beyond the dead zone. " Cairo added the final fold before her rudimentary creation had been finished, a boat. She stood and walked to the rivers edge and pushed the boat out onto the water and let the current sweep it away.

Clarke watched in wonder as the boat floated around in circles for a few times before it straightened out. " Will you take me to your Capitol ? " Clarke asked as she picked up a bigger leaf and hesitantly handed it to Cairo to twist, bend and fold. Cairo deliberated for a moment, She needed to back to the Capitol but she didn't want to overwhelm the girl but then simply taking her to one of the closer villages wouldn't prove anything. She'd have to take it up with her advisers in the morning but it couldn't hurt to have the opinion of a fellow blonde.

" Would you like to see it? "

And with that it was silent again. Clarke watching as Cairo folded the life into different shapes and angles this time, Clarke breathed out a sigh and absently continued to draw the _Trikru_ symbol in the moist dirt over and over again. Clarke thought about Lexa and Costia. But Lexa was a _natblida_ sooner or later a scout would come and take her away, Lana had already informed the _Fleimkepa_ of her daughter's _shadjus_ so she could be recognized as a possible successor to the Commander. Lexa was supposed to be taken to the capitol the moment they found out but this new commander was different and for some reason she hadn't sent riders. Then Clarke thought about Costia.

 _Kostia kom Podakru_ . She and Costia would often team up and tease Lexa and sometimes pull pranks on her together. They had fun together. Costia and her would often sneak off into the forest to watch the birds and play games in the forest when Lexa was off studying the the elders. She and Costia had made a promise to each other when Lexa had fallen down and scrapped her knees revealing blood the color of night. They promised that no matter what they would protect their friend from anything , which for Costia , included protecting Lexa from being _Heda_.

But Clarke knew Lexa would be a great warrior and if- _when_ the Spirit chose her , she would ascend to the throne of _Polis_ and be the best commander since Becca _Pramheda_ or.. .. even better. But Clarke knew that Costia had her reasons for wanting to protect Lexa from everything. She'd seen to much pain and lost so much or one so young and she didn't want anything to hurt Lexa or Clarke. She shook herself out of her thoughts, she was starting to sound like aunt Lana.

" Yes, I'd like to see it. I want to see the pyramids "

" Well that is something I can arrange "

Anna watched as the Sand Nation Princess and the Sky Princess sat at the rivers edge until the sun began to set. Talking about all manner of things from the strange two back horses which Clarke learned to be camels to sea monsters and sail boats. She watched as a bond began to form between them and as she turned on her heel to fetch a guard to take over her vigil when she felt more than heard as someone approached her.Spinning she struck out at who ever it was and was surprised when her move was blocked and countered with alarming speed and as she was to strike again a voice called out for her to stop.

" _Onya_ ? " Anna sighed and slipped the knife she grabbed from her boot back into it's place. Anya looked at her with owlish eyes and was breathing unevenly. Anna was surprised that Anya had come so far in her training , given time she might even be able to hold her own against her. " Indra sent me , she needs help with the deer " Anya breathed out as she craned her neck to get a look at Clarke and Cairo as they made stick figures with leaf cloaks to place in their boats which had developed from little leaf crafts to a medium sized bark construction with a decently woven sail.

" So _Klark_ really is going with them ? " Anya's refused to meet her mothers eyes for a long moment before meeting her mothers gaze her own clouding with tears and Anna felt her heart clench. Anya was an only child, but for six months she had been ecstatic at the thought of having a sibling but then she got sick and then Anna herself got sick.

So when Lexa was yet to be born Anya hung around Lana day and night and when she found Clarke she became a she-bear and followed the blonde everywhere but it wasn't like how she followed Lexa or Costia it was more of a need to ensure her safety as a matter of life and death because Clarke had no known family that was here to protect her, so Anya took it upon herself to assume the role of guardian.

But she wouldn't have to protect Clarke for long.

At least not from the Sand Nation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations : 
> 
> strik prisa disha hukop teik oso kru kik raun - ;  
> Little princess this alliance will let our people live -
> 
> Ai nou fir raun ;  
> I am fearless 
> 
> Sha;  
> yes
> 
> Sangedakru ;  
> Desert Clan / Sand nation 
> 
> Trikru ;  
> Forest Clan 
> 
> Natblida;  
> Nightblood 
> 
> shadjus ;  
> Black Blood 
> 
> Heda;  
> commander 
> 
> Fliemkepa;  
> Keeper of the flame 
> 
> Kom Podakru ;  
> Of the Lake Clan 
> 
> Pramheda ;  
> First Commander
> 
> Leave a comment if you have any thoughts/questions or ideas  
> ; >


	6. Family part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo, I've taken a dive into this and this is literally the third time I've written this since my laptop hates me and shut down on me twice. So anyways I kinda thought that most of the survivors being from the U.S was kind of ... .uhhh well let's just say I've given the clan's more of an origin and as well as dived into languages for their respective clans. So they'll come from all over the world now and not just the U.S. 
> 
> So I'm got to wrap it up here in case my laptop sabotages me again. : /

It had been twelve years since the treaty had been signed with _Sangedakru_. In that time _Trikru_ and _Sangedakru_ had become brothers in arms and the current commander had become one of the longest ruling commanders yet. And Clarke, well Clarke was now a part of both _Sangedakru_ and _Trikru_ a bridge between the two clans and now a member of the Royal family Egypt and second primary heir to the throne. After Clarke's first year living in the Capitol with Cairo and Egypt she had come to love the Capitol and it's people just like in TonDc. Cairo had adopted Clarke into her home at age nine and it's been seven years since then. 

Clarke had traveled in between clans mostly staying close to _TonDc_ near the Dead zone. But she had just spent the last year in the capitol with her family and it was time for her to see her old family back in _Tondc_. So when until then Clarke intended on spending as much time in the Sangedakru sun as possible. Which meant a race through the city with her sister Egypt, who was now twenty and being groomed for the throne. Clarke and Ageria had received the same tutelage in the event something would happen to their sister and that it was required by the laws of their land. At sixteen Clarke was now one of the best spear master there was in their entire clan, her tracking skills were as good as her mothers and her bow prowess could anya a run for her money even her sword work was improving at a fast rate. 

" _Eajluu ya 'akhat!_ " She called in _Sangedasleng_ from atop a white stallion as sand and wind flied behind her. Racing through the city with her sister a few yards back and their guards in the distance she felt . Clarke still had a hard time believing it. she had two families. One in _Trikru_ and one in _Sangedakru_. Sure she had Anna before, but it was different , Anna needed her to fill a whole and Cairo wanted her as a daughter , an equal. She wanted Clarke just for being Clarke. She missed Lexa and Costia and last year when she got a letter from Lexa telling her that she'd finally told Costia about her feelings she'd been ecstatic for her friends and in a few short weeks she would get to see them. 

She would get to see her village and friends and that's what spurred her faster and faster atop her horse. She could here her sister laughing in the wind as she too spurred her horse faster and the real race began as they tore through the lower markets weaving around crowds and vendors. Both sisters knew what would happen when the reached the palace and their mother would hear about their escapades. 

" _Last bihajat 'iilaa dhlk, sa'afuz ealaa 'ayi hal_ " Egypt shouted smugly as her horse flew past Clarke's and sent sand flying into Clarke's face as her sister made her way to the palace. Clarke shook her head and turned down an alley and galloped through a maze of sharp turns and jumps and she stuck her tongue out at her sister when she pulled up in front of her and spurred her horse even faster. She would have felt sorry for Scorpion if he didn't like racing as much as she did. The smile on her face was even wider when she heard a curse behind her and she could only imagine what the guards where saying about their race. Egypt's horse had been more for pleasure and a showing of wealth for the Royal family and because she was always so busy she rarely got to take him out like this so Clarke did have a slight advantage. 

They were halfway to the Palace when the bells began to toll and Clarke immediately slowed down to let Egypt catch up with rest of the their guards. She took in her sister's face, pale green eyes and tanned skin the color of the sand that surrounded them , unmarred by battle scars and brown locks pulled back into a bun with intricate braids and of course a red feather that matched Clark's own was braided into her hair as well not to mention the small jeweled head piece she wore that was more flashy than Clarke's simple ruby that was glued to her forehead with sap. The differences where clear in the way they dressed but the way they carried themselves is what made people forget that they didn't share blood. A fact that Clarke sometimes forgot herself. Like now when the bells tooled out. " Sand storm " Egypt breathed out as just beyond the horizon a brewing storm was headed straight of the city. 

Clarke whipped her head around when she heard the sharp cries of whistles and looked to her sister as she drew her bow and scanned their surroundings while Egypt did the same as she drew her long sword. " Scorpa " Egypt growled out as she watched as the people rushed to close their shops and began to board up their homes at the on coming storm and the threat of the Scorpa.

Like the _Trikru_ had _pauna_ and _Ingranrona Kru_ had their twisted birds of prey and so forth, so did _Sangeda_ . They had the _scorpa_ , scorpions the size of horses with fatal stings, their venom burned through a warrior faster than a _pauna_ could ever dream of being able to tear you apart. " They just had to attack _now_ " Egypt grumbled as she held onto her reigns as tightly as she could with one hand while she twirled her blade with the other. Egypt may have been born for politics but she was no idiot with a blade. she was quite formidable when she wanted to be and now as she glared at every shady ally and dark corner she was the epitome of fierce gone where her usual niceties and pretty words. Now there was just sand and steal. 

" Take the princess back to the palace _now_! " Both princesses in question turned to their head guard, Chad, their uncle and half brother to their mother Cairo. He was the illegitimate son of their late grandmother when she was younger. The Pharaoh had taken him in but never truly accepted him as a son so to prove his worth he had risen up in the _Sangeda_ army and was now the head guard of the royal family. Cairo had been reluctant to leave her brother as just a guard but he had refused to cause ripples and said he was happy to protect his nieces and serve his people. 

" Like _hell_ you will " Egypt glared at her uncle and abandoned all her tutors teachings and instead she kinda looked like Anna which made Clarke regret taking her with to Tondc that one year because after that she and Anya became as thick as thieves. But what mostly bothered Clarke was that Anna had shared her recipe for rabbit pie with Egypt and not her. _Egypt_. After she begged for years. she even tried to recreate it and put her pallet training classes to good use and the only thing she did was give Lexa food poisoning and made Costia refuse to eat anything she cooked on her own till this day. 

" Your highness, please , my men and I can handle this " Chad stood his ground not breaking out of the character of Head guard to uncle once. He had always tried to remain out of the shadow that royal family cast and he was doing a good job. Most people didn't even know he was even related to the royal family except for the trademark blonde hair and when Cairo and Chad stood beside one another there was something that just connected them and made them brother and sister. 

" Maybe you shoul- " Clarke paled slightly and tensed as her eyes landed on the dog sized Scorpa, probably still a baby which was very, very bad. The younger the Scorpa the less it knows how to control how much venom it releases when stinging someone. A young Scorpa could kill you instantly and it was on the roof of the house behind Egypt clenching its pincers that could break through bone while foaming at the mouth while its black eyes where fixed on her eldest siblings head like it was some sort of juicy watermelon in the middle of a drought. 

" Tell me to go home, just try " The first primary heir challenged her sister next with a daring look that got Clarke thrown into the Nie river when she was younger because she lost a bet on who would win the archery at the festival of the sun. She could still hear Egypt's laughter and Ageria's yelp as he was pushed in for complaining about it being hot. _In the dessert_. So naturally their sister decided they both needed to cool off. 

" Actually I was going to tell you to move " Clarke said as knocked another arrow into her bow and drew the two arrows back and prepared to take aim for the creatures eyes when she heard her uncles sharp cry of ' GET DOWN ' and she watched in slight horror as it launched itself off the roof and straight for Egypt. The princess herself didn't even spare a second before swinging her body in a 180 and impaled the creature with a savage cry of victory that would be short lived.

Clarke heard the hiss before she saw the huge creatures blocking their path and she could feel Scorpion's muscles tense beneath her. She pulled back further and let her arrows fly and hit her mark as two arrow's stuck out from where the one Scropa's eyes used to be. There five of them now. All fully grown and dwarfing their horses. Clarke wasn't sure liked the odds. Five guards, to princesses and five fully grown Scorpa who probably had young lurking about. 

" Get into formation! " Chad ordered and the _Sangeda_ snakes obeyed him forming a blockade around the two princesses who protested as the wind began to whip around them. They had to get to the palace. If they strategized properly they could possibly get out of this alive but if the storm hit they'd be dead. No one could fight Scorpa and a sand storm at the same time and Clarke found herself wanting her mothers battle brains but mostly her brawn. Her brawn would definitely come in handy. Egypt shook the scorpa off her sword with little effort and stood in her saddle , raising her sword now covered in goo and blood. Clarke took stock of her arrows and sighed. should've picked more up at the Fletcher's, she thought as looked at the dozen arrows she had left. 

" Bet you wished you stopped at the Fletcher's now, dearest sister " Clarke wanted to glare at her sisters humorless yet humor filled voice but she didn't take her eyes off the enemy in front of her. " Bet you wished you hadn't worn such a pretty silk shirt " Clarke replied jabbing at her sister more fashionable side that was another thing that won Anya over, both of them gush about clothes which was hard to imagine since Anya never gushed. About anything except for Tris. her daughter. Clarke had been surprised when the great Anya stood behind her and told the feared Anna that she was pregnant. With Tristan's baby. It happened after Costia's birthday. The berry wine and been flowing and so was Lana's infamous beer and the two had both woke up feeling like death and mortified. 

But both had been committed parents and agreed to raise Tris together, just not _together_ per say. Both parties adamant that it was a mistake. Though she hadn't have feared Anna really, for Anya's age it wasn't taboo at all since little Tris would be two this year which made Anya twenty - six. By normal standards a taboo birth would be anything below sixteen or some places even fifteen. In all honesty Anna had just been glad she didn't have to be an old lady to see her grandchild but most of all, she was glad the baby was Tristan's and not .. .. .. Quints. 

Clarke shivered at the thought and watched as the fight began when the biggest Scorpa hissed and Chad launched a spear at it which it snapped with its pincers. " Clarke take the big one, I'll take that scrawny looking one " Egypt gestured to the one at the end that looked the least intimidating with it's one broken pincer and Clarke looked at her with slanted eyes. " Why should I take the big one ? " Clarke asked as she adjusted her aim and targeted the leader of the pack instead. " I have special plans for that one " Clarke rolled her eyes at her sister and agreed with a grunt and as soon as the second one attacked she launched three arrow's at the largest one with the one bad eye and watched as two glanced off its gleaming body and one hit a kink in it's armor and the creature shrieked out in pain as it took a hit to it's flesh. The older the scorpa the harder the scales and Clarke realized what her sister intended when she got up to stand in her saddle and called for a shield before she launched herself of her horse an then spring boarded over the shield and stabbed the back of the eldest ones neck in a sweet spot and then drew her sword to slice it's tail off with a painfully loud battle cry. 

" Come on , Clarke! can't kill one little Scorpa ? " Clarke starred at her sister incredulously as she knocked another arrow into her bow and shot with a little more vigor than needed as she rolled her eyes. " _Come on , Clarke , can't kill one little_ _Scorpa_ " Clarke mimicked in an high pitched squeaky voice and disguarded her bow and placed it back in it's place on her saddle and drew her spear this time. " One little Scorpa my _ass_ " Clarke launched herself out of her saddle much to her uncle's displeasure and brought her spear down with her. 

Just wait till mother hears about _this_ , Clarke thought 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since Trikru got to have a crazy killer animal , I thought Sangeda could have their own crazy mutated overgrown insect and since the don't get acid fog I naturally have given them brutal sand storms
> 
> the language I used for Sangedakru is Arabic, which is spoken in Egypt of course, though i will be breaking it down and not using the full language due to the Nuclear Apocalypse happening and all. 
> 
> Leave a comment if you have any thoughts or questions : )
> 
> Translations ;  
> Eajluu ya 'akhat!;  
> Hurry up, sister 
> 
> Last bihajat 'iilaa dhlk, sa'afuz ealaa 'ayi hal;  
> I don't need to , I'm going to win anyway
> 
> Ingranrona Kru;  
> Riders of the plain clan 
> 
> Sangeda;  
> sand people
> 
> Trikru;  
> forest people 
> 
> pauna;  
> gorilla


	7. Timing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And today's update, behold my unhealthy sleeping schedule

Anya breathed in the cool autumn air and smiled. Finally away from the village with just herself, the forest and her bow. Of course she loved her village and it's people and her favorite person of all, Tris. but her mother had been right motherhood wasn't easy and looking back if she were her mother and had herself as a child she probably would've strangled herself to death with all the mischief she got up to. But Tris was a darling girl, far easier than she was. fortunately Tris was with Indra and Tristan for the morning until Lana and her mother got back from their fruit hunting expedition which everyone knew meant, beers, ciders and wines. With the Sangeda royalty on their way there would be drinking, music and of course feasting. 

Which meant they would need to hunt double if they wanted to prepare for winter as well as the coming royalty. So that left Anya to her hunting. She smiled as she began following the tracks of a herd of deer and her mouth watered at the thought of Indra's venison stew and dried meats. She could almost taste her mothers pie and this year she vowed to stay away from the berry wine and stick with ciders instead. " There you are " Anya crouched down behind a few tress and there just beyond the small clearing was the smallest of streams and a decent sized herd. Twenty maybe. She smiled remembering how when Clarke had returned from her first year with Cairo and had insisted on telling her every little detail to the point where Anya thought the girl had named each bloody grain of sand in the whole damn dessert. She even followed her on a hunt not realizing she was actually at the hunt until she scared a herd into a stamped and Anya had to throw her into a tree and swiftly followed suit and still even in the tree she went on about the tombs of kings, festivals and even the language. 

Anya chuckled softly in fondness and slight annoyance at the memory and dipped her arrow into a paralyzing liquid before knocking the arrow but not yet drawing. She stayed low and got as close as the edge of the clearing before scaling a tree and and perching on one of the higher branches that provided ample cover with the amount of leaves everywhere and in Anya's hunting clothes she felt one with the tree. She could picture Egypt whispering in her ear, ' You are the tree, the tree is you. I am the tree, the tree is me. We are the tree' and she snorted at the thought of Clarke's older sister.

She had been somewhat hostile towards the other sand princess when she heard they were taking Clarke into their home and away from Anya herself but after a staring contest and a fight over a chicken leg they became allies and then a prank on Tristan sealed their friendship. Tristan who had become friends with the prince of the sand nation, Ageria where from then on out a target of the two. Then the memory of Tristan coming back and vowing to sleep in the river to combat the Sand nation sun after his first and only year in Sangeda made her grin when he realized there had been a small river snake in that particular river.

Unfortunately her mirth had upset the deer who were on high alert and Anya prayed the wind didn't pick up anytime soon. Staying in her tree she remained as still as the tree and she thought, I am really am the fucking tree. It took a solid twenty minutes for the deer to settle down and for Anya to finally breathe normally again. " you're mine now " Anya drew her arrow back and was about to release when a ' _Boom_ ' sounded out over head and Anya cursed what every infernal creature it was that just scattered her hunt but she did mange to shoot one of the females with a decent coat and an extra tail which most thought was good luck. 

" _Not again_ " as she saw something bright falling from the sky and tied a piece of cloth onto an arrow and shooting the deer in the heart this time. She cursed as she watched the arrow hit true and she wonder what the stars had sent this time. " If it's another baby I'm leaving it there. They're more trouble than they're worth " Anya grumbled as another boom caused her to loose her footing and resulted in her getting thrown out of the tree to land on her back, hard. She dragged herself to her felt rubbing her elbow and grabbed her horn and blew it the same as last time, four short bursts and two long calls to get her reinforcements. 

After trekking through the forest and once again loosing her footing when the metal cage crashed into the earth and falling face first into the dirt. " Have to move, stay somewhere nice and quiet. Yes, like Balmore or Mar lan " Anya nodded as she shook mud off her boots and listed two other Trikru villages and once again like all those years ago she kept in the shadows and waited for more warriors. Considering moving to somewhere that didn't have people falling out of the sky every few years and each time when she was hunting too. 

She wouldn't have to wait long at all soon she heard the answering call a lot faster than the last time and she drew her bow just in case and aimed for the direction in which the calls came. " _Chit yu bilaik !_? " She shouted out and was grateful she had chosen to wear her warpaint and when no answer came she fired an arrow and heard a grunt and she barely managed to dodge a spear as once again , she dropped to the ground. " _Chit yu bilaik !?_ " Anya called louder this time and drawing two arrows and not the paralyzing kind this one would induce hallucinations and then eventually fever which would kill a warrior after several hours. 

" _Onya, hod op !_ " Anya lowered her bow when she saw her mother emerging with Anya's arrow in one hand and her horn in the other followed by Lana who seemed to be missing a spear. She grew wide eyed when she saw the look on her mothers face and lowered her bow aiming it to the ground completely and tried to look apologetic but considering she was almost impaled she didn't feel as motivated. Anna stalked over to her daughter furious. She had almost been hit in the face with Anya's arrow. 

" You almost _shot_ me " Anna narrowed her eyes at her daughter and pressed the arrow to her chest somewhat forcefully which forced Anya to hold her bow and two arrow's in one hand and claim her other arrow in the opposite hand. Anna wearing her all black attire that accented her still youthful frame wiped her hands on the hem of her shirt and unsheathed the dagger from her belt and went to dig Lana's spear out of the tree that Anya had been leaning on. 

" And aunt Lana almost speared me. " 

" Yes,I did but you shot first. " 

" I asked you to identify yourself ! " 

" We didn't know it was you " 

" How could you not know ? "

Since they were all a good distance away they didn't hear the grunt that echoed out of the prison cell they didn't even know it was a cell. So when Jake Griffin woke up with a pounding in his head and an aching wrist he made nothing of the sound's he was hearing chalking it up to him crash landing on earth. So he carefully got up and climbed through the whole where the prison door used to be and smiled as he breathed real air for the first time in his life. He laughed as he knelt down to feel the soil beneath his feet with his good hand and had half the mind to kiss the ground and so he did. 

He could breath and his lungs seemed to be okay maybe hurting a little from how much he was breathing. He felt a slight tickling sensation on his face and looked up to see drizzly. Drizzly. water falling from the sky. The was up there and he was down here, on earth and he could breath. Which meant Clarke could breath. Clarke, he thought suddenly and stumbled to his feet . Dizzy and unsure of his footing her stumbled along and did a 180 to take stock of his cell that looked like a scrunched piece of paper. He then turned to see three figures starting at him with confused expressions. He could've sworn he heard one of them say ' At least it's not another baby ' and the other two reply with ' be quiet '

He himself stood in awe. People! they were people! alive ! on the ground! he laughed and waved and was about to say something when the younger scary looking one knocked an arrow into her bow that was tipped with a strange black round object only to shoot him point blank in the forehead and the last thing he saw was her being hit upside the head by the other two at the same time. 

" Abusive " Anya mumbled as she broke off from the warriors that had arrived and where taking the sky man back to TonDc to get her horse Orion. The hulking black stallion had been a gift from Sangeda , Egypt said he would be of no use to them in the sand nation. he was too big and his coat would draw to much attention. She rubbed the back of her head while making sure her kill was safely tied to the back of her mount and took a detour instead of rejoining the others. 

Instead she rode straight for Mar Lan to sacrifice her hunt at the temple of wisdom Goddess. It was a short ride, she'd be back by sun down at the latest and she could at least get some of that sweet water that Tris liked and maybe some more poison. For some reason she had a bad feeling. Something had been gnawing at her since she broke off from the others and she couldn't figure out why. 

and for some reason her thoughts suddenly drifted off to Lexa and Costia in the Capitol and Clarke in the far east.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always leave a comment or if you have any questions let me know 
> 
> : )  
> Translations; 
> 
> Chit yu bilaik ;  
> who are you
> 
> Onya, hod op;  
> Anya, stop/wait


	8. Remembrance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> little chapter today

Lexa collapsed down onto her bed wincing as every inch of her body felt heavy and yet weightless at the same time. After another long day of training she was tired so so tired but alas there was no rest for her. She sat up and felt her muscles strain with the effort and she began to change into clean clothes and report to the _fleimkepa_ who she was sure forgot she existed most of the time and only remembered her name when she did something wrong and he could come her to the great _Falcon_. 

Lexa missed her mother and her village. It had been months since she'd seen any of them and it had been years since she'd been allowed to leave the walls of Polis. Her only comfort was Costia. Thinking about the girl brought a smile to Lexa's face immediately and suddenly soft grey eyes and the sound of laughter filled her mind. Telling Costia of her feelings had been the best decision she ever made. She could still see Costia's wide eyed appearance and gaping mouth and how her eyes had filled with tears and a smile spread onto her face. 

But still the image of Costia living in one of the refugee camps made Lexa think twice about her choice. Polis had been on the rise under this commanders reign but it was still dangerous with refugees coming in and not all of them seeking protection. No, there was an assassination attempt every other day and with each one was the threat of a conclave. Each attempt meant the possibility of Lexa dying by the hands of another natblida. " _Leksa_ " She turned to the sound of her voice and saw little Rhea. " _Raya_ " Lexa smiled as the youngest novitiate made herself known and sat down next to Lexa. Rhea was seven and by far the smallest of the natblida. Her red hair and dark skin made her think back to the time when Clarke and Costia had dyed their her red and spent the day scaring everyone. 

" _Leksa ai_ \- " Lexa held her hand up and gave Rhea an expectant look, " _Raun gonasleng_ " She said and smiled when Rhea rolled her eyes. Lexa had become something like a protector to the child who often was pushed around by the older natblida. " anyways, Titus wants us in the throne room " Rhea sounding annoyed that she had to speak in gonasleng reminded Lexa of Clarke when she was younger. 

" Alright, I'll be there in a moment " Lexa would soon know that the next few months would be a test of strength for them all. In the walls of Polis, Princess Nia of _Azgeda_ sought to harm their commander and rule in his place. Due to the lack of _shadjus_ in her veins Nia would scout out the _Natblida_ and corrupt them and get them to do her bidding and if none would co-operate she had other ways to make them bend to her will. 

This commander was weak he didn't have the strength to rule over the Twelve clans, he could barely keep them in line as it is. _Azgeda_ would change that, they would take down this commander and march on the other clans and make them kneel before the might of _Azgeda_.

Nia had her eye on one novitiate in particular one she was sure she could turn given the right circumstances.

" Bring me the girl, we'll see how loyal she truly is and far she's willing to go for the one she loves "

Lexa sat leaning back on her folded up jacket as she and the others listened to Titus drone on about how love was weakness and that to be commander was to be alone. In order to govern meant to stand alone to have no loyalty to ones clan of birth instead having loyalty to them all. That love meant making one's self vulnerable to attack and left one open to manipulation and deception. Lexa often wondered about this teaching. Was love truly weakness as Titus said and had it truly been the death of the three other Commanders he served ? or had it been because they had not loved enough ? 

Titus however believed the latter and Lexa could see most of her fellow natblida taking his words to heart as she should be. But when she first came to Polis and saw the eight others with the blood of the commander she realized she wasn't special, she was cursed. She would be forced to fight and die with the children who had become something like a family to her. She wasn't some legendary child of the sky like Clarke or great warrior like Anna or Indra she was the daughter of the Falcon and that was it. She would die and when she did she would be remembered as the daughter of the Falcon.

No one would tell tales of her . No one would sing songs about her . 

She would die to make way for the next commander and that was it. But until then she would live. She would live and she would be with Costia and when death came she wouldn't fight it. To die in service to the Flame was a true and honorable death. But then a question broke through her thoughts. A question she dare not asked. Too afraid of the answer.

" What if the commander has a child ? " 

She knew the voice. It was the voice of the _Yujleda_ _natblida_ , Juanita. She had a strange accent but considering she was from the far south it was understandable their home , _Bazil_ was said to be home to great forests and mighty beasts and tropes of _Pauna_ and even scarier monsters. Juanita was fifteen and was the only one who used the whip as a primary weapon. Lexa had the honor of being on the wrong side of her whip once, she still had the slowly fading bruises left from it where it had been wrapped around her wrist and the following punch to the face had left a bruise that had only just faded.

Lexa had been tossed around like a rag doll and had been surprised when Juanita helped her to her feet and gave her a cream to help with the bruises and smiled. ' You don't know when to quit do you ? ' those were her parting words and she'd returned the next day and once again Lexa lost to her. Juanita showed promise in regards to leadership but she was often rash when it came to decision making. 

Right now everyone's eyes were on Titus and what his answer would be. " Well the commanders who have had the time for family have often lost them to the enemies of the flame. " Titus looked eager to change the topic but another question stopped him from doing so and he cast a somewhat annoyed look at Juanita for starting this topic. _Maxi_ , the _Delphi kru_ _natblida_ asked another question in his unique accent from _uba_. He was thirteen and would often tell tales of _Havan_ his former Capitol and Lexa realized she was one of only natblida still close to home unlike some of the others who were taken from their homes and wouldn't see their families until their ascension tour _if_ they survived the conclave.

" What happens if the commander doesn't die and has a child ? "

everyone knew the question behind Maxi's question.

For a moment Titus was silent ,his jaw working in a side to side manner and Lexa could hear his teeth grinding together. For some reason his eyes landed on Lexa and she resisted the urge to flinch and instead removed the emotion from her face and meet his gaze with his own until he looked away and breathed in before giving his answer to Maxi , " You're asking if the Throne would turn into a monarchy then? "

Titus looked like he was having a hard time articulating and Lexa would have enjoyed it if the question hadn't peaked her own interest. unfortunately none of them would get their answer. When everyone heard the doors open that scrambled to straighten themselves out and Titus sighed in relief and you could see his shoulders relaxing. 

" Rise for your _Heda_ " 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always please leave a comment and give me some motivation to continue this meaningless life ... pweassse ? 
> 
> hehe well if you have any question or something to share you know what to do 
> 
> : >
> 
> Translations : 
> 
> Azgeda ;  
> Ice nation 
> 
> Delphi kru ;  
> Delphi 
> 
> Yujleda ;  
> Clan of the foliage
> 
> Natblida ;  
> night blood
> 
> Shadjus;  
> black blood 
> 
> Raun gonasleng;  
> in English
> 
> Leksa ai ;  
> Lexa I


	9. unseen pieces moving

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ta da

Four stood in a line. 

One circled them. 

"I'm going to ask this once so think very carefully about your answer, What in the name of _Ra_ happened?" 

" It wasn't _my_ idea-" 

" They were _reckless_ and abando-" 

" It was _her_ idea and I - " 

" _ONE AT A TIME_ " 

Clarke's mouth snapped shut and she looked at anything but the Princess of Egypt and she tried to not move as each twitch she made created a cringe worthy squelch and she'd made the mistake of cringing the first time and had to battle to get her eyes open after being glued together with slime. She cast her eyes over to Egypt who was looking no better than she was. except she'd wiped the gunk from her face and wasn't smelling as fowl. Chad on the other hand was covered in goop and sand and bugs and looked like he'd crawled through a heap of dung. 

Cairo tried not to gag at the smell stinking up the throne room and to ignore the burning sensation in her eyes. She narrowed her eyes at her brother and then cast a glare at Clarke and Egypt. This was not the time to be acting like children not when... ... no they don't need to know yet but _Ra_ if they _knew_ they would not be acting like this. " It was my fault mother, I refused to come back to the palace. I ordered them to stay " 

Two heads shot a glance at Egypt and one somber in disappointment, something she hated feeling when it came to her children which was funny since this was her first time feeling it. She didn't fully blame them for their actions, they didn't know the situation they were in. _Not yet_ , a tiny voice whispered. 

" I wasn't any help either, it was my fault too " Clarke stepped forward and everyone winced when a sloshing sound echoed through the room and more goop stained the floor. Grimacing Cairo was going to give her verdict when Chad spoke up, " No, it was my fault. I should have dragged them back kicking and screaming " Chad stepped forward and Cairo stepped back despite herself and made a face as her brothers smell filled her nose and she could feel the bile sitting at the back of her throat just waiting to spring forth and great her brothers face. 

" No, you were right to obey them. They are your superiors " Cairo cast her eyes down as she finished her sentenced and accepted that her brother would never truly be her brother. She hated when she was put in these situations. when she had to remind herself that it didn't matter if her brother had royal blood because they would never be equal. Not even in death.

" That's right " The voice was one that at a time, people cowered before and still fear today.

The voice of the Pharaoh himself. 

Pharaoh Arica the first of Egypt, The _last Spear_. Father of the _Sandstorm,_ widow of the _Red Snake_ and grandfather of the _Triple Serpent_ , the trio of Clarke the Sky Princess, Egypt Snake Charmer and Ageria the True Prince of Egypt. His was a legacy that wouldn't be so easily forgotten. Not for a thousand year, or so the historians say. His skin the same shade as Egypt's and bearing the same eyes as Cairo , gold and orange and the same chin and jawline as Ageria and a will of fire that Clarke liked to think she inherited from him. 

He was the one who struck fear into the hearts of men with a temper that was not something you would want to see. A scar on his face was the eternal reminder of the price of war. A scar running from his hairline straight down to his chin and right through his clouded white eye that had gone from golden orange to a bright glowing red. His hair was cropped short at the sides leaving golden locks on the top to make him look like what he used to portray in the days of his youth, death. A scorpion tattoo on his right eye in the red ink and in lined with gold made his status as Pharaoh even more obvious if the crown on his head was anything to go by. 

Clarke had seen his anger before she could remember the sickening sound of bones breaking when one of the council members had spoken out of turn and she could still see the blood of the _Boudla kru_ spy's blood splattered on the throne room floor when Arica had struck out of nowhere and put a spear through his skull. She had felt the impact from where she sat beside her siblings on the high platform that held the Royal family above all others. 

Out of all the Clans, Sangeda held the most in terms of wealth and was among the largest clans even rivaling _Azgeda_ and _Ingranrona kru_ in the east and dwarfing the likes of _Podakru_ and _Yujleda_ even _Trikru_. With Arica has the head and Cairo as the warrior with her children as the weapons of destruction they were Sangeda had risen in the ranks of the other clans.

" You are not a snake boy, you are the _vermin_ that lurks in its shadow " Clarke and Egypt both tensed at their grandfathers words while their mother stood taller and tired to convey a message to her brother with her eyes. _Don't_ . "Scurry little rat " Chad was dismissed at the flick of a hand. A hand that had once almost beaten the life out of Chad when he was just a boy who had committed no other crime than being his mother's son. Fourteen and scared the boy tried to fight back and got broken bones and blood for his efforts and his only relief were the forty armed Red Vipers sent by he queen to stop her husband.

No one spoke of that day. _Ever_. Since then Arica had never struck the bastard boy but that didn't make him less intimidating. " At once " Chad turned on his heal after a low bow to his blood relatives and his Pharaoh and made for the nearest exist which lead him past the members of court and councilors he'd sworn to protect who did nothing but turn their nose up to him.

" Clarke, Egypt why are you all covered in ... ... _Scorpa remains_ ? " His mood changed instantly and a broad smile was on his face all former disgust gone and replaced with nothing but love for his granddaughters and their mother. The change was instant and Clarke and Egypt both pretended to not notice it, Egypt because of the fear that she would become him and Clarke because she refused to think of her grandfather as a monster. Instead she chose to see him as the flawed man who welcomed her into his home and gave her a crown and a home to call her own. 

She was the the one Egypt and Ageria strive to keep blind to their grandfathers sins. To give her the family she always dreamed of, because this war torn warrior before them was the closet thing to a father Clarke had ever known. " We broke protocol " Clarke said with the hints of a smile tugging at her lips because no matter what Arica was, he wasn't always like this. There was good in him, she could see it. 

At Clarke's words he let out a thunderous laugh and ruffled her ruined and sticky hair anyways and tip Egypt's chin up and gave a look to his daughter, " Come now, I hope they aren't in to much trouble. Need I remind you how troublesome you were as a child Cairo ? " Cairo gave her father barest of smiles recalling her younger years and nodded and let go of what little anger she had left and redirected it at the problem at hand. 

" Not too much, just a few extra hours of studies " Clarke smiled at that whereas Egypt saw it for what it was but she said nothing and faked a not so fake groan. She looked at her Grandfather. Lean and tall like the rest of them yet somehow packed with muscle and the start of a beard appearing on his face. He wasn't the grandfather she remembered but like Clarke, he was the only one she had.

So when he told the two young snakes to clean up and get ready for dinner neither of them questioned him as he and a number of war generals that included their mother were ushered deeper into the throne room as they were escorted to the baths. 

" What are they up to ? " Egypt whispered as close to Clarke as she could get without her eyes watering.

" I don't know, let's find out " Clarke's grin resulted in one of Egypt's famous heart breakers as the two concocted a plan to find out was being hidden from them.

Something they wouldn't want to know when they found out.

" beware council _'adan_ is on its way " That was their brothers reply along with an identical grin on his face. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations 
> 
> Podakru ;   
> Lake people 
> 
> Yujleda ;  
> Clan of the foilage 
> 
> Azgeda ;   
> Ice nation 
> 
> Trikru;   
> Forest people 
> 
> Ádan ;   
> Mischief ( Arabic) 
> 
> Leave a comment if you have any thoughts or questions 
> 
> : }


	10. What's coming

Jake woke up blind folded and surprisingly warm. From what he could tell he was on something soft , a bed maybe ? there was a chatter around him and he reach to take the blind fold off and when he did, light stabbed at his eyes. He was greeted by the sight of what appeared to be an infirmary where figures spoke in low voices in the corner. He looked down to see his ankle bandaged along with his wrist. He rubbed his forehead where there was a forming lump. 

His motions seemed to have caught his... _captors_ ....eye and four figures were now looking at him. He smiled still shocked to see people who not only seemed to be capable of speech but also healing. One of the figures walked over to him. Her skin dark with long braids and a tattoo on the side of her face , she frightened him somewhat. " Who are you ? " She crouched down beside him and handed him something to drink. 

Looking down at the largest glass of water he'd ever seen and happily draining it without a second thought. He heard a mumbled out breath and then a another mumbled which stopped when the women in front of him cast an eye over her shoulder. " Jake, Jake Griffin " Everyone in the room shared looks when he said his last name , something he didn't notice as he marveled at the taste of fresh water and the taste of real air and a sense of endless space. 

" Why are you here _Jayk Griffon_ ? " Indra looked at the sky man before her and looking into blue eyes she had no doubt about his identity. That and a picture she had of a baby Clarke in the arms of a man and a women. The similarities weren't as bold as the similarities between Anya and her mother it was more like the similarities between Tris and Anya. Tris looking more like her father than Anya yet still be so similar. They had the same eyes and complexion as well as hair but that was mostly it. 

So when Indra was forced to look closer she could see Clarke's blue eyes and same smile when the man had drunk the water. She could see the trust Clarke had in others and where it came from and of course the blonde hair.

the man's eye's suddenly were wide and he made to get up so abruptly that Indra had to back up in order to avoid his legs as they swung off the cot and onto the ground. Indra stood and filled his cup with more water when he grasped his head and almost fell back, " slowly " Indra said and handed him more water than the last time and once again he drank it all as if he'd never had this much water put before him. 

" My daughter , Clarke . There was an accident when she a baby. She fell from the Ark. " Indra sombered as she listened to him ramble as she cast a look over to Lana the Trikru warrior clenched her jaw and beckoned her over. " Wait here " 

Jake didn't even notice her leave to speak with Lana who held a rolled up parchment bearing the _Sankru_ mark. Lana's face was grim as she handed it over to Indra who had no idea of what it contained. After a few minutes reading she looked up sharply to make sure she wasn't seeing things. This would mean... ... no. This wasn't real, it can't be. Were they that bold to attempt such a thing. Then it suddenly made sense, all the royal children in the direct line of succession were coming to Trikru in preparation for the coming festival of light. Never had they all come at once it had been too risky. It still was a big risk for _Sangeda_ but considering the situation Indra was surprised that they weren't sending their entire clan across the sea. Even Cairo herself would be making the journey leaving her father to rule over Egypt. 

" If this is true then we have to send riders and infor- " Indra was cut off by Lana before she could finish. something that the women normally didn't do, _that often_. She released her bottom lip from where she had it trapped between her teeth "We've tried, none of the Sankru warriors have returned and our own have either been stopped or killed. " Indra and Lana both knew what that meant. 

" I'll ride out tonight and slip past them with that many people leaving they wouldn't even notice me slip into - " Indra looked at the Falcon before her and she felt nothing but sympathy for her. She'd never want to be in a situation like this but luckily enough for her because she never could be, _not any more and it's your fault._

Indra thought back to the last few years and felt herself spasm in pain and it felt like something had been dropped through the hollowed out place where her heart used to be. But she couldn't let Lana go. If what was coming was true then Trikru would need ever warrior they had. Which meant she needed Lana here, rallying warriors and in the war chambers. Not on a suicide mission. " No , if this is real then your people need you here " Indra braced herself when Lana raised an eyebrow and stalked forward forcing Indra to take a step back. She knew playing that card wasn't right but it was what her people needed.

Lana and Anna both were born in the east further east than even Sankru. They were born to Ingranrona Kru. Lana being an orphan and Living with Anna since birth and being raised as close as sisters could be. Anna whose mother had fled with both her children and brother when tension rose and sought refuge in Trikru after hearing about the wars ragging in Sankru.

Both Anna and Lana grew up around the warriors of forest and left their old lives behind them. Both of them have killed to protect their clan. " My people? Indra our people will face - " Lana caught herself before she said anything rash and returned to her stoic self , all traces of emotion vanished from her face. 

" Right now, we have this to deal with and - " & Lana left before Indra could say anything and instead she made her way to the armory. 

" I'm going whether Indra like's it or not. " Lana tore her way through piles of arrows upon arrows picking the most lethal kind with barbed tips and soaked in poison and made from trees that had grown were the acid fog stuck most often

" Then I might as well keep you out of trouble " Anna had a simple empathetic smile on her face and two swords strapped to her back.

If they knew the price they'd pay for leaving the village.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter since I shall be experiencing some nasty storms and today was my great grandfather's 91st so yaaaay. 
> 
> but have no fear, tomorrows chapter is pretty lengthy 
> 
> Translations 
> 
> Ingranrona kru ;   
> Riders of the plane 
> 
> Trikru ;   
> forest people
> 
> Sankru;   
> sand people 
> 
> Leave a comment if you have any questions or feel the need to share 
> 
> Nightowl out. 
> 
> queue mic drop


	11. Ocean tears

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> turns out this chapter took me longer and I kinda needed to break it up into three parts. 
> 
> : (

" Do you understand, Egypt ? " 

Egypt was silent as she studied the maps in front of her. She bit her lower lip in fear and stared at her grandfather. She and her siblings had managed to get past the guards and had hidden behind one of the statues on the second floor of the war room when they'd heard what was about to take place only to be caught by their mother and banished to their chambers until dinner this time with guards on each of their doors. 

Egypt however was summoned by her grandfather and sat at the war table with trembling hands. She looked up at the Pharaoh with tear filled eyes and part of her begged for it all to be a lie. Like how she and her siblings would be given war threats and had to deal with them as they saw fit, some were real and others weren't but they would only know after their test was complete. Egypt always landed up with the most collateral damage while Ageria always suffered a loss of too many warriors and Clarke was known for her impossible and sometimes irrational plans and sacrifices. 

She wanted this to be just like those tests. For this to be a trick. _Azgeda_ had an army. They had strong armed several clans to stand with them. They planned to kill the commander and corrupt one of the nightbloods into doing their will and if they couldn't they'd slaughter them all. 

According to these letters from _Sankru's_ finest Sand snakes, _Boudala kru_ were in league with _Azgeda_. _Boudala kru_ were the closet Clan to _Sankru_ they were across the sand planes in Libiy. _Sankru's_ natural enemies. How ? _Azgeda is in the frozen north and Boudala Kru in the burning east._ _What would they gain_ ? Egypt hadn't noticed that she had been thinking aloud until she heard her grandfathers sigh as he sat down across from her. 

" Our wealth, our land , our healing knowledge ? What don't they gain. If we fall that will make them the second most strongest Clan amongst the Twelve, second only to Azegda. " His face was grim as he looked at his scared hands from years of fighting. In this moment Egypt could see the weight of carrying a nation weighing heavy on his shoulders and could only imagine the sacrifices someone would have to make if the Clans became one. _What as strange thought_.

" But it doesn't make sense - " Egypt fell silent when she felt a hand on hers and looked up to see her Pharaoh and not her Grandfather and her lower lip trembled once more. " Egypt, I want the best in life for you but our people have to come first " She saw real pain in his eyes as he continued to hold her hand to the point she thought her bones would shatter. " Do you understand what needs to be done ? " 

" I - I -... ... yes, I understand " Her shoulders slumped and her heart clenched as she realized what had to be done and what she needed to sacrifice for what she cared about most in this life and probably all the lives to come. " Good , because that is the only other way for us to survive this " Egypt swallowed hard and she prayed the gods would have mercy on her soul.

" I know " 

Clarke stood at the bow of the ship that would take her across the ocean and back to the other half of her family. Three ship's left the coast this morning before the sun had risen with a hundred warriors on each one and another hundred to ensure their safety which and by some miracle they weren't discovered. Clarke was disappointed to know that Egypt had been kept back in the capitol for some reason that was not disclosed to her. So on each boat there would be three Royal members. Three members would cross the sea and not four. Clarke on this ship, Ageria on the other and Cairo in the lead this way it would be more difficult to determine which one to take down in the event of an attack or storm. With a hundred warriors aboard her ship Clarke felt the weight of the situation and she could see the glint of spears and swords and arrows from her brothers ship and the flags flying from the lead ship that carried their mother. She could see the signal flash from her brothers ship and laughed as she gave the order to ignore her brother's signal unless it was an actual emergency.

****

Egypt breathed out as she climbed out of one of her mother's clothing chests and into the cargo hold. She stretched out her limbs and made her way onto the main deck after climbing several ladders and walked past some very confused looking guards. Sunlight assaulted her eyes and that wasn't the only thing that hurt her. " What the hell are you doing here ? " Cairo grabbed her daughter by the collar of her shirt and pinned her to the wooden wall behind her. Cairo's eyes were burning a dangerous gold as she looked at the child before her. Egypt whimpered and her eyes fell to the floor beneath them. " You know why " Cairo softened completely and released her daughter backing away and running her hands over her face and releasing a sigh. She walked back and forth for several minutes her hair free of it's normal braids blew behind her in a blonde wave. Egypt felt her heart sink as she watched her mother walk away silent except for the soft " You can sleep in the Royal quarters. "

Cairo walked over to the bow and sat down on the floor leaning against a chest of what she knew to be arrows that would be used to fend off any sea snakes. She allowed a tear to roll down her check. Her children shouldn't be asked to do this. They shouldn't be asked to sacrifice and they certainly shouldn't be ready to die at such a young age. _They deserve better than this and I may never be able to give it to them_.

She thought back to when she was Clarke's age and her father had arranged her marriage and she had been denied the chance to find love but she'd grown to feel for the father of her children only to have him taken from her and her children. She didn't want that for them. What kind of mother would she be if she did ? 

" I'm sorry. I'm sorry for failing you " 

Tears streamed freely down her cheeks and when her guard came to check on her she simply blamed the spray of the ocean water. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments ? Questions ? Thoughts ? 
> 
> You know what to do 
> 
> : >
> 
> Sankru ;   
> Sand people
> 
> Azgeda ;  
> Ice nation 
> 
> Boudala Kru ;   
> people of the rocks


	12. Not me

Cairo lay in her bed finally drifting off to sleep after sending one of the birds with a letter for TonDc. They would be there sooner than excepted with the winds this strong and the current with them their journey would be cut down by a few days. Cairo drifted in and out of sleep for what seemed like hours, dreaming of past memories and future battles. Though this time the creaking of her cabin door is what drew her out of her restless slumber. Her hand curled over the hilt of the dagger she kept under her pillow while her face remained still and her breathing even. 

Cairo threw her body upwards and her eyes widened when she saw Egypt standing by the door with a tear stricken face with her arms crossed over her chest and wet splotches along her night gown. " Are you mad at me ? " Egypt sniffled out as she stood in the low lit hallway with the freezing ocean air blowing through the ship. Cairo's heart clenched painfully when she saw they uneven and harsh breathing that violently shook her daughters chest. " Egypt " Cairo sat up in her bed and held her hands out for her daughter to take and as soon as she did she had her arms filled with her sobbing firstborn and she too began to tear up. 

" I'm s-s-sorry " Egypt breathed out brokenly as she struggled to breathe while her mother rubbed her back in circular motions. She'd spent the better part of the night crying in the corner of the cabin her mother assigned her. She'd betrayed her people for her own selfish needs. Her mother was four years younger than her when she married for their clan and here Egypt was twenty and running from her duty. It was all just so hard. Her mother always expected the best from her and her siblings and as the oldest she was held so much higher. She always had to be strong and like her mother to be worthy in the eyes of her people. 

" I'm sorry I-I can't be l-like you " Cairo pried her daughter off of her at that and resisted the urge to slap her. " I don't want you to be me. Ever. I want you to be you. You are your own person, Egypt. You don't always have to a princess, you can take a moment to be yourself. " Cairo took in her daughters anguished face and red eyes that she knew would still be red in the morning. Cairo stroked her daughters face and tucked the stray strands of blonde locks behind her ears. She never wanted her children to be like her, yes maybe when she was younger but she see's the flaws in that now. 

Her mother wanted her to be everything that she couldn't be and her father wanted her to be a warrior, to be the best. All she wanted to be when she was younger was a singer and to work with the historians. She wanted her children to be what they wanted to be even if she still hard parts of her dreaming of her children being other things. " Can I stay here tonight ? " Egypt's voice was hoarse and cracked as she looked at her hands as they twisted and fiddled with the hem of her mothers night gown that she wore, that was somewhat shorter than she was comfortable with. She would have smiled at that if she could still feel her face. 

Cairo gave her daughter a look and as she rolled her eyes playfully and moved over to make space for her little girl and crushed her against her chest and shivering slightly at how cold Egypt seemed to be. Stroking her daughters hair and singing soft lullabies she drifted off a little while after Egypt and fell into a sleepless dream.

" _Oso sonop_ " 

Egypt jolted up and her arm automatically shot out and struck something soft that let out a yelp. Egypt rubbed at her blurry eyes and squinted several times to see a somewhat blurry Clarke. She rubbed at her eyes again one still unclear while the other showed Clarke rubbing at the corner of her jaw with blood welling out of a shallow cut in her lip. "Clarke? " Cairo groaned out as she stretched out like a cat and scrunched her nose at her youngest as she poked her bottom lip to asses the damage done by who Cairo could only assume was Egypt. 

" Why would you hit me ? " Clarke pouted out as she stood and walked over to a window to see her busted lip better and Egypt threw her legs out of bed and immediately regretted it. " Why are you here ? " Clarke continued to throw out random questions as she poked her lip and winced every time only to do it again. Cairo could only resisted the urge to laugh at that.

" Clarke stop doing that and when did you get on my ship " Cairo stood up and started picking through a pile of clothes she had set out last night and noticed the wet footprints on her floor and her jaw clenched at the stains that it would leave. " Ageria said that he could get here first so I beat him " Clarke shrugged in her black pants and grey shirt with a long coat half draped out of one of the windows drying and her feet looking like shriveled prunes. Cairo let out a sigh and made a face at the amount of water in her cabin and wondered if the gods would punish her if she made Clarke scrub down ever surface of the ship from bow to stern. Her father would often make jokes about how she expected everything to stay dustless in a desert. 

" Him or the race ? " Clarke gave her sister a confused look for a second forgetting her previous questions and her busted lip and instead just accepted the fact that her sister was here and it wasn't as if they could turn back. " Did you beat Geria to the boat or did you beat _him_ up ? " Egypt said while smiling when she said Clarke's childhood nick name for their brother. " Oh,a little bit of both " 

Cairo left her children to their banter and games after she shoved them out of her cabin so she could change and get ready for a day which would most likely end with her feeding at least one of her three children to the ocean. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations;  
> Oso sonop ;  
> Good morning
> 
> so one last light chapter cause after this one, we shall be diving into deeper waters ma babies 
> 
> As always leave a comment or question or if you wanna share 
> 
> o o  
>  V


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Its been a while. 
> 
> My laptop finally gave up on me. : (
> 
> So I'm using my little brother's one.....
> 
> but I know just how to make up for lost time.

" What's this ? " Nyko resisted the urge to roll his eyes as the Sky man went through his various herbs and tonics. He had been tasked with keeping the sky man safe and unharmed now he was considering harm. A lot of harm. The man reminded her of Clarke at a young age when she would ask him endless questions. But with Clarke he could always leave her with Indra or Anna or even Tristan and Anya. Now the village was buzzing with energy and no one was available and he was trapped making tonics to combat fever and infection and he thought given the task of making bandages to Jake was a good idea, it was not. Now he walked around making bandages while pointing at random things an asking what they were and what they did. 

" That would be Scorpa venom, only found in the east. Sankru dip their weapons in it " Nyko examined the few vials he had left from last year when Egypt had come west in Clarke's stead. She had brought a case of the poison with her and gave it to Nyko as a gift for his birthday. It came with a few drawings of Sankru from Clarke and a bottle of wine from Cairo. " What's a Scorpa ? " Nyko set a fever cure down roughly as he got up to hand the man one of Clarke's drawings. The drawing showed a beast that looked more fierce than _pauna_ with eyes blacker than night. 

Jake stared at the drawing for who knows how long, running his fingers up and down each stroke. He sat down in the spot Nyko had cleared out for him by the window providing a warm and gentle light to fall on him which amazed him. The sun. warmth and light. But he couldn't care about the sun as he stared at the picture. Something felt so familiar about it. " Who drew this ? " 

Nyko looked at him for a second and then looked away as if he hadn't heard him. Jake was about to ask again when the door to the spacious room was flung open and Jake flinched at the sight of a still fuming Anya. " It's been a week! Why haven't we heard from them ? " Anya demanded with a scowl on her face and baby Tris on her hip chewing on sour berries. The majority of Anya's chest and arms were covered in a layers of red and blue fingerprints. Nyko could feel the fear rolling off of Anya as well as the fury. One week without Anna and Lana had taken it's toll on the young warrior who barely did anything other than stalk around the village or spend time with her daughter. 

" We've tried sending riders but they never come back. Anya, you know our chief won't risk more lives for two warriors. " Nyko didn't regret his words as much as he should have since it was due time that Anya accept the truth that her mother and the closest thing she had to an aunt could very well be dead. The only thing now that was holding her back was the fact that she was still holding her child which the toddler soon fixed with a pout and big eyes " _Tris daun_ ? " Anya gave her daughter a look that conveyed a subtle ' _I will pick you right back up if you get in trouble_ ' and she set the child down who promptly ran over to Jake and poked a berry in his face in exchange to sit on his lap and play with the various mixing tools and grinders. Jake's face contorted in pain as the sour taste of the berry hit his tongue and promptly opened his hand for another one.

" Two warriors that are worth a _thousand!_ " Anya hissed out as she stood across from Nyko with a dangerous gleam in her eyes that Nyko did not like one bit. " That may be true but it would take a thousand warriors to save them now " Nyko switched over to trigedasleng to not a alert the sky man and peak his curiosity further. " Then send me! I can get o them and warn Heda about the true intent of the attack " Anya slammed her fist down on the table only to clenched her jaw when Tris gave her a curious look " _Noumon_ ? " Anya cast a look at Tris and her face softened " _Nou get yu daun, Tris_ " Tris accepted the reply and went back to crushing invisible ingredients while Jake made sure she didn't squish her fingers while doing so. 

" Anya the capitol is under siege and Lana and your mother are most likely in the thick of it. We can't help them without making ourselves vulnerable to attacks " Nyko said while he continued to label and take stock of his medicines and cures under the iron gaze of Anya. " I won't let them die. " Anya got up abruptly and shook the table with several vile's falling on their sides as she collected Tris and made her way out of Nyko's work space to most likely go and bother Indra. 

Anya however didn't go to Indra for her daily rant. Instead she went to Tristan who was sitting next to Lincoln both men looking just as frustrated as she was. " _Daun_ ? " Tris looked up at Anya with big brown eyes and Anya could only oblige the girl once more and set her down on her feet so she could run over to her father and Lincoln. " Still no word of them " Lincoln said from his spot on the ground with his back to a log and his dagger and wet stone at his side. Tristan gave her an apologetic look. As Tris babbled on about berries and offered him one which he promptly declined with the saddest look he could muster to give his soon to be two year old. He never had the taste for those things

" I have a plan. " Tristan said from where he sat perched on a log as he watched the trees. 

" Let's here it then " Anya sighed out as she sat down cross legged beside Lincoln. They really were screwed if they had to resort to listening to Tristan's plan. But they had choice , they couldn't leave their family to die. Lincoln shut the book he had been drawing his dagger in and sat up and held out his arms when Tris wobbled over to him. " _Sankru_ signed an alliance with us " Anya rolled her eyes at Tristan and wondered how she had ever fallen into bed with this branwoda. Lincoln shot Anya a look, something he'd never done before and Anya sighed and let Tristan continue. " The treaty says that Sankru has to fight with us and do no harm to us as long as we do the same in regards to them. Lexa , Anna , Lana, Costia they are all Trikru. Which means that _Sankru_ have to help us save them or risk breaking the alliance " 

Anya had to admit that so far Tristan's idea wasn't as bad as she expected. Though right now she would have preferred it if he'd suggested they go in and slaughter every last traitor in Polis because there was no way that Sankru would risk their own unless - 

" Clarke "

Lincoln and Tristan both cast her looks and she slipped into her warriors mask and letting her thoughts form and develop. " All three of them will be here, Clarke, Egypt and Ageria. If the Triple Serpent is with us we won't need Indra's approval we'll need Cairo's." Anya's darted back and forth as she thought of all the possible outcomes that would not end with her being skinned alive by the Sandstorm that was Cairo. 

If anything Cairo may prove to be somewhat more difficult to sway but if they got Egypt to agree... ...

" No, no we just have to get Egypt on board. Cairo trusts Egypt's judgment , if Egypt agrees to this then Cairo will too" Lincoln looked at Anya's face and they way her eyes gleamed and he felt sorry for whoever would try to stop Anya now. "We don't even know if they've brought any warriors. " Lincoln pointed out and he was grateful to be holding Tris after the glare Anya shot him. _Sankru_ never sent their royalty anywhere without protection. 

" It won't matter if they bring a hundred warriors, there are still well over a thousand of their warriors in the villages they have here. " Anya felt a weight being lifted off her chest and she would've kissed Tristan if he wasn't soo... _Tristan_. Now all they had to do was get Egypt to agree to their plan and every single _Azgeda_ warrior laying siege to Polis would regret ever being born. 

" One more question, how do we get Egypt to agree to this ? because out of the three of them she's the most level headed. " Anya really wanted to slap Lincoln upside the head but it turns out she didn't have to. Tris had shoved a berry up one of his nostrils which she thought was a fair trade to look at his sketchbook . But of course Anya had just figured that part out. 

" Don't worry about Egypt. I'll take of her " 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations;
> 
> Sankru;  
> sand people
> 
> Azgeda;  
> Ice nation 
> 
> Branwoda;   
> fool/ idiot 
> 
> Trikru ;  
> Forest people
> 
> Have anything to share ? 
> 
> Wanna leave a comment?
> 
> Have a question ?
> 
> Let Nightowl know


	14. Polis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter....
> 
> : )

Anna buckled under Lana's full weight as she dragged them both into the Commander's tower. They'd been fighting their way into Polis through hordes of _Azgeda_ , _Trishana Kru_ and _Yujleda_ warriors and no matter how great a warrior one was, it would've been a miracle to stay alive amongst all the fighting. Anna herself had suffered a blow to her calf and another one on her stomach both were bleeding at a dangerously rapid pace. She sported cuts and bruises all over her body and she was sure two of her fingers one her right hand where broken and her pinkie definitely was broken if the bone sticking out of it was any indication not to mention her busted lip and bruised face. 

Lana had taken a sword to her shoulder and a sported several stabbed wounds on her abdomen and another had at least dozen slices on her thigh as well as a bloodied face from having it being scrapped across the ground under and _Azgeda_ boot with a bleeding lip and a missing tooth as well as a shard of glass the size of a horses hove which had been stabbed through her foot Lana was still a grinning idiot. " We made it " blood spilled out of her mouth and with her teeth covered in blood she really was a sight for sore eyes. 

" Barely " Anna choked out as they were greeted by the Commander's Guard and surprisingly the _Fleimkepa_ himself, Titus. The priest looked drained of energy with dark circles under his eyes and his hands covered in clothe and .... black blood. " Where's my daughter, priest? " Lana spat a mouthful of blood out at the bald man's feet as she tried to stand up but ended up almost taking both Anna and herself to the ground. " Hello Falcon, not so mighty now are you ? take her to the healer " Titus dismissed the warrior with a nod and Anna watched as Lana put up a pitiful fight as she was dragged off. 

" How many of you came ? " Titus led Anna over to a table where was an alarmingly little amount of water and some dried meats. She was no idiot, at this rate the Capitol would fall in days when Anna and Lana had arrived the cities out walls had already been taken and they were working on the fourth and fifth wall and last night they had been working on the second and this morning they had broken through the first wall were most of the refugees were staying in. " Two " Anna winced as she drank as little water as necessary and felt it burn at the cuts on her lips and noticed the herbs floating in the water. 

Titus cursed and began to pace back and forth. " How long will the supplies last ? " Anna kept her voice low as she leaned against the wall for support and winced when her actions had applied pressure to the wrong spots and she was forced to stand up again. The grim expression on his face told her that they wouldn't last as long as she would have hoped. " Three days " Anna turned her face at that the capitol should be able to stand for ten times that even with the amount of peop- 

The people. There are more refugees in Polis than in recorded history. The look on Titus's face said he knew what Anna did. If the Capitol were to survive, they had to stop giving food to it's people but there were the emergency supplies in the case of plague that should have been able to feed the whole city and surrounding villages- " I know what you're thinking. The plague supplies, that was the first thing they took after they breached the third wall and no we can't take it back, we don't have enough warriors to do it. " 

Anna flinched when a brick was thrown through one of the doors, sending glass every. Lana took a look around. Warriors strewn across the halls all in worse condition than the last and the ones that still stood looked like... they couldn't go on like this they needed more warriors. " Have you been able to get any messages out since the siege began ? " Lana had only hear of it when it was still be whispered and they had ridden in the hopes of warning the Commander but when they got there it was already too late. Titus walked over to where she was standing and opened a lid to a crate that smelled vile. Inside were pigeon heads with their would be letters shoved into their beaks. 

Arrows started to flying through the spaces the shattered glass left and Anna and Titus along with a few other warriors rushed to block the whole with a table, turning in up and covering the hole and Anna stumbled before she caught herself exhaling in pain as the wound in her calf began to pulse causing her to blackout. 

Anna woke beside Lana who sat vigil above her with half her face covered in green paste that was slowly turning red. "Sleeping during a siege ? " Lana smiled painfully as the wounds on her face burnt and her stab wounds contracted with the effort. " Did you find her ? " Anna tried to sit up but found that she could barely move from the pain radiating from every inch of her body. " They won't tell me what's going on and Titus has been pacing around the tower ever since you passed out yesterday " If she could Lana would have beat the priest to an inch of his life and _made_ him tell her where her daughter was. She heard the murmurs around her. One natblida unaccounted for and one with a mortal wound and that wasn't even the most troublesome thing she'd heard. 

" Where's the Commander ? " After trying to sit up and failing several times Anna decided to focus on the situation and not her pain and instead reaching for Lana to help her up and between the both of them they managed to prop Anna up on a pillow that was as soft as a brick but with what Anna assumed to be numbing agents on her back it wasn't as painful , it only hurt when she breathed. She looked up at Lana and the brunette gave her an expressionless look with the barest hint's of fear in her eyes. " Lana, where is Heda ? " Anna prodded once more this time with fear bleeding into her own voice not caring about appearances anymore. 

" _Dying_ " 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations; 
> 
> Yujleda;   
> Clan of the foliage 
> 
> Trishana Kru;  
> bright forest 
> 
> Azgeda;  
> Ice nation 
> 
> Fleimkepa;  
> Keeper of the flame 
> 
> Comments ?


	15. Red Flames part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Three chapters....
> 
> in one day....
> 
> and this one's not just any chapter...
> 
> the one we've all been waiting for : )

" Leksa ? " Rhea cried from her spot on her bed surrounded by her fellow _natblida's_. They'd all been at the training grounds when the attack started which now had evolved into an all out siege. All the natblida remained in the throne room which had been turned into their temporary home with Commander's guard watching them on top of the _Fleim_ warriors that have also been keeping watch over them. 

When the war horns had been blown they had all frozen in their spots and were dragged away from the battle by the Commanders orders. but not before being ambushed by a group of at least three dozen warriors. Lexa had been the first to raise her sword when one of the them tried to grab Rhea and then the fight began. They picked off most of the Commander's Guards and it was left to them to fight for themselves. Unfortunately they were outnumbered and there was only so much that they could do against opponents twice their size and battle hardened. 

So when Titus had showed up with more guards they'd retreated back to the tower and have been there ever since. But on their way back to the Tower they hadn't seen the spear being hurled in their direction. Rhea's scream was the only thing that pierced the air. The spear had been twice her size when it pierced her back to emerge out her front covered in black glimmering blood. Lexa had grabbed a spear from one of the warriors escorting them and had hurled it back in the same direction and watched as an _Azgeda_ warrior fell to her knees with a spear in her throat. 

Luna, the _Floukru_ natblida had been grabbed and so had Juanita who had stabbed her would be attacker in the eye with a dagger had managed to elude him and run back to the rest of her fellow _natblida_. Luna had no such luck after being knocked out and thrown over the shoulder of the enemy and when _Leksa_ had tried to go back for her Titus had grabbed her by the arm and hauled her back to the Tower with the others. 

She tired to get out several times to find Luna and Costia who she hadn't heard from in days but each time she got thrown back into the throne room and the only thing keeping her here now was Rhea pale form shaking in fear. The healers said it was a miracle that she had lasted this long and it had been a sign that the Flame had chosen a different fate for her. But Lexa heard them speaking with Titus, Rhea's spine was badly damaged. She'd never walk again. It broke Lexa's heart, she was so young and there was nothing she loved more than riding and now... ... 

It wasn't fair, even if Rhea survived this the commander had been poisoned and all of the Towers healing resources had been directed to him but they could all feel it. Heda was dying. With the threat of a Conclave the _natblida_ had been on edge. Especially Lucas, Luna's younger brother who was thirteen and small for his age. He has been tucked into a corner ever since his sister was taken. 

Lexa looked back down at Rhea when she felt her hand being squeezed by the younger girl. " Leksa, it hurts " Rhea coughed out blood and Lexa hurried to wipe it away from her little mouth. The Commander didn't have much time left so if he died Rhea would be forced to participate in the Conclave. She would be a deer in hunting season with her wound. " I know little one, just hold on a little longer. Help is coming " It broke her to lie to the girl but it was all she could do for her. 

Rhea needed medicine, her fever had been getting worse and the only herbs they had were for infection which had been spread thinly amongst the warriors and the Commander. Rhea had only been rationed a small amount since no one had expected her to survive this long. 

Lexa turned when she heard a voice being cleared behind her and she saw Juanita standing with her arms crossed looking at Rhea as if she was scared of the girl. " A word ? " Juanita nodded her heard towards her bunk and after a moment of hesitation Lexa left Rhea, keeping her in her line of sight at all times. " I hear you're trying to escape " Lexa's eyes snapped to Juanita's grey ones that held the same need as her own. " Who is out there ? " Lexa was surprised to see tears in the other girls eyes. "My grandmother" Lexa shoulders went slack , family was something they all had to give up when coming to Polis. Lexa herself had only been able to see her mother briefly and sometimes only in secret. 

Juanita, as far as she knew had no family. but it appears the girl had been lying. Then it struck Lexa, the baker ! the baker had always seemed so familiar to Lexa but she could never place where she knew her from. It made so much sense why she never asked for money for her goods when Juanita would bring Lexa and Rhea along into the city with her. Why Juanita would speak lowly with her in their strange language. " I have a plan to escape " Lexa's eyes widened and she had to school her features back into nothing after the brunettes words. 

" Don't act as if you don't want to leave. Your lover is out there... .. and if the rumors are correct the Falcon is here " Juanita looked back to Rhea with emotion swirling in her eyes as the welled with tears. Lexa however was reeling. Her mother was here, in the middle of an all out siege trust her mother to be in the thick of it " What's your pla- "

" The fire! " 

" The pyre has been put out ! "

" The smoke, it's red ! " 

Lexa and Juanita rushed over to the balcony and stared in horror as the Commander's light had been put out. The fire that had been burning ever since Lexa could remembered was now out. In it's place was red smoke signalling the Commanders death. Among the cries from the city below both from the people and the battle, more war horns were calling to the sky and they could all hear that one specific horn blowing. 

" The Conclave has begun " 

*********

" What the hell is that ? " Ageria turned from Rayker , a priest of the God Anubis. They were somewhat feared and thought of as radicals back in Sankru but still respected as one of the most talented killers of their clan. Rayker had been Ageria's lover since her was sixteen along with Mera a tailor from the lower towns the three were the talk of Sankru. With Ageria's dashing looks and Rayker's more subdued appearance and small frame and of course their Mera's dark curls and olive skin they were always the latest gossip much to Clarke's amusement. He jumped down from his spot on the railing he was sitting on.

Ageria was squinting at a red splotch of red on the horizon and the color drained from his bronze face. He ran to the bow where Mera had been standing with a telescope pointed at the red mark. She shook her head as she looked at him, her blue eyes were full of dread. " Shit " Ageria cursed as he looked through the device to see the unmistakable red smoke signalling the Commander's death. They were to late but if the smoke was stilling in the sky that meant it must've been recent. A day or two maybe. The commander'd pyre would traditionally burn for at least twelve days even after the Concla- 

" Signal the other ships, the Commander has fallen " The servant scrambled over to the ships torches and covered them in red powder making them burn a brilliant blood red before burning out and start to smoke and after hat Ageria thought was a scream from Clarke's ship all three had burnt red to only be extinguished to reveal their red smoke. 

" What's going to happen now ? " Mera's voice was heavily accented and sounded so different when she spoke the warriors tongue. Ageria shook his hair out and watched Mera turn as drops of sea water flew from black locks. " Now we fight , my love " Ageria said tilting her chin toward him with a predatory look in his eyes and they both shared a longing glace at each other until someone came along to ruin their little moment , " We fight to _win_ " Rayker said as he stood beside them sheathing a blade into his belt with a small smirk pulling at his lips. 

Cairo had driven her fist into the mast when she saw the red smoke bellowing from her son's ship and she had promptly gone to light her own torches in honor of the fallen Commander. They had finally reached their destination and Cairo thanked the God's that they'd left so soon. She looked to the hundred warriors on her ship standing in formation and waiting for her order that's when she'd heard Clarke's scream and watched as Egypt held the girl closely. 

Clarke's torch had been lit and extinguished like the others and before Cairo could give any order's she heard the cry of a Royal war horn with it's unmistakable sharp and piercing cry coming from Clarke's ship and was soon repeated by Ageria's ship and after a look from one of her warriors she gave the order to blow her own and soon the only sound other than the ocean was the war calls of Sankru

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations; 
> 
> Azgeda;  
> Ice nation 
> 
> Natblida;  
> Nightbloods
> 
> Floukru;  
> Boat clan 
> 
> Fleim;  
> Spirit of the commander 
> 
> Thought's ? 
> 
> How'd I do ? 
> 
> Leave me a comment ?


	16. Family part 2

Sankru rode into TonDc with three hundred warriors and the half their Royalty sporting their red warpaint. Their war horns were different to the ones used by Trikru, these war horns sounded like death. And looking at them now, there was no mistaking it. 

Death had come had come to TonDc. 

Anya stood with Indra, Tristan and Lincoln at the gates to greet them. This was the first time that Sankru rode with fully armed warriors into their village and Anya couldn't help but get chills. Cairo was at the forefront of the army wearing all black with a cloak around her shoulders with hundreds of red and brown feathers around the neck and shoulders. Egypt rode in after her wearing full black with one arm of the black jacket she wore solely comprised of the same red and brown feathers. The next to ride in was Ageria with both his lovers riding beside him the two weren't royal but they sure as hell looked like it dressing in the same black as the royals and donning a smaller red feather braided into their hair while Ageria had chosen to where the same cloak as his mother except his was somewhat subdued in contrast to hers. 

Then the person Anya had been waiting for rode in with the infamous Red Vipers. Clarke wore her red feathers off the shoulder like that of the commanders sash. they fell like a waterfall over her shoulder contrasting starkly with her black outfit. Like the rest of her family she wore a red jewel on her forehead and held herself above the fear of war even at sixteen. 

The party dismounted and Lincoln could only stare in awe of the warriors as they pulled their horse into lines and their unmounted warriors fell in line as well and Lincoln hoped Anya knew what she was doing because looking at the warriors before him the last thing he wanted was to be on the wrong end of a _Sankru_ spear. 

Cairo was the first to stalk over with her three children in tow and greet Indra and the elders before walking over to Anya and Tristan who had been filling in for Anna and Lana as generals. before Cairo could greet them she was pulled to the side by Indra to talk privately after casting a wary eye towards Clarke. The blonde hadn't noticed of course her eyes focused on Anya and Tristan and of course Lincoln. Clarke threw her arms around all of them. " Where's Lana and your mother ? " Clarke asked with a confused smile and Anya gave her a sad smile.

" That's something I thought you could help with " 

******

" So what you're telling me is that, that man in there is Clarke's birth father ? " Cairo looked at Indra skeptically and then looked around her to glance at the house that she knew to be Indra's and wondered what kind of man it held. She could feel Egypt's presences behind her as she heard her daughter pace back and forth. " Not only do we have an all out rebellion but we also have this to deal with. " Cairo let out a sigh, after Egypt's breakdown she'd mostly returned to her normal self. She could hear her son's agreement and felt the start of a headache forming. 

Cairo's mind was reeling as she absorbed the new information. After all this time he decided to show up now, right in the middle of a war. Part of Cairo feared he was here to take Clarke away from her but according to Indra the man showed little to no aggression whatsoever but that still didn't ease Cairo's mind. If this man was going to take her daughter he'd have one hell of a fight on his hands. 

" Well let's see the so called Sky King " Cairo pushed past Indra and opened the door to a man that had his back turned to her and instead was now watching the warriors outside through a window. " Indra who are thes- oh, hello ? " He turned to Cairo with a soft smile on his face and Cairo almost fainted. His eyes, were the same blue as Clarke's and his hair was the same blonde and the smile he wore was the same smile Clarke had given her the first time she had seen the pyramids. 

Cairo said nothing as she shut the door behind her and took a closer look at the man. He said nothing as she circled him and took a seat at the table across from where he still stood by the window. He showed the same interest in her as she showed in him and she noticed him staring at her eyes in particular and raised her eyebrow and he promptly looked away and ... flushed red ?

Cairo was grateful for her warpaint, not knowing if the heat she felt in her cheeks were from the different weather of _Trikru_ or if it was due to the Sky King. The last part she added for the sake of considering all possibilities. She didn't know how long she sat there staring but it was enough for him to clear his throat as he leaned against the window. " You are the one who fell from the sky " Cairo stated matter of factly and he seemed taken aback by her accent before he nodded. " You're the one with the army " Jake said in awe of the women before him. She was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen and the most intimidating, next to Anya when it came to intimidation. 

Jake had never seen someone that looked so ... ... _powerful_. It was Clear in the way she carried herself that she was the one in charge. Jake had seen her greet Indra and how the other women seemed to be somewhat wary of her. What captured his attention the most wasn't her outfit or the short spears strapped to her back but the color of her eyes. He'd never seen eyes that color before. Literally gold with hints of orange. Her face was sharp and yet gentle. The war paint only brought out more of her features. 

" That I am, tell me why are you here ? " Cairo took a breath and hoped for the answer she wanted as the sky man rolled his eyes the same way Clarke used to when she was younger before she learnt that Egypt's eye rolls were far more dramatic and adopted them instead. There was no malice in the action just slight irritation at having to answer the same question over and over again. 

" I'm here for my daughter , Clarke " 

Cairo shoulder's went rigid and to the untrained eye it would have seemed that she had stopped breathing. Clarke may not have had her blood but that never mattered to her. Clarke was as much her child as Egypt and Ageria. She treated all her children equally and she knew Clarke was happy with them, with the family they'd made together. She would never give Clarke up, not for anything. So as she made the choice to listen to this man's tale and perhaps run the risk of losing Clarke to him she did it knowingly.

***********

" Will you help us ? " Anya looked at Clarke now, so far from the babe she found all those years ago. She was a warrior through and through. A Princess. Clarke had sat and listened to Tristan's plan silently in Anya's home. A home that was somewhat better than the others since Anya's home was at the base of an oak tree with stairs that lead into the trees where she had a spare room and a small armory. 

Tristan, Lincoln, Clarke and herself sat at the oak table her father had carved when she was the same age as when she had found Clarke. Tris' soft snores could be heard from the crib that Indra had bought her. " to be honest - " Clarke gave her a cold look that was surprisingly intimidating. " - I'm offended you had to ask " Clarke laughed and everyone let out collective sighs of relief and joined Clarke's laughter but soon stopped when a little yawn was heard from a bundle of bear fur. 

"So you mind telling me what you have on my sister that'll make her convince my mother to let us march into a death trap, where is my sister by the way? " Clarke leaned back into the metal chair with a smirk and a pensive look on her face. Something was bugging her and she didn't know what.

Clarke felt as if everything was changing which it was but... ... something was eating at her. 

" You wouldn't believe me if I told you " Anya smirked as she prepared to leave for Mar lan leaving Tris with her extended family to go track down a Princess. 

Anya had never been stranger to a party and Egypt having never kissed anyone before and having her first unsupervised drink at Lincoln's birthday party, well Anya had been more than happy to help boost the girls experience levels. Of course Anya hadn't been the only one at the party that had caught the Princesses eye. Anya at first had mixed feelings about the princesses new object of desire. 

Anya hadn't said anything to anyone about it and instead kept a close watch and had soon come to realize that there had been nothing to fear. Still she said nothing and often covered for the princesses trips to Mar lan. Standing outside the door of a decent looking home that was right across from one of the many temples the village had. Anya looked around before pushing the door open and slipping inside. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations;
> 
> Sankru;  
> Sand nation 
> 
> Trikru;  
> Forest Clan 
> 
> It's been a little while .   
> : (  
> Gotta get a new laptop : ( 
> 
> But if you wanna make me happy, You can leave a comment. 
> 
> or a thought or ask a question.


	17. Egypt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyyyyy guys.....

Egypt had waited until her mother and Clarke were out of sight before slipping off to the stable's and taking her brother's horse and taking one of the back route's Anya had shown her and made her way to Mar lan. Her heart was clenching painfully as she made the ride while her stomach fluttered. Egypt had to choose between her heart and her people. Between duty and love. 

Egypt began to shiver as the cold _Trikru_ air began to blow through her hair. She should have dressed warmer but since she wasn't supposed to be here in the first place she had her mother's clothes to pick from and the more she dug through them the more ... ... revealing they became. Clarke's sense of style was close to nothing and her brothers clothes were a little too baggy and Mera's clothes had been somehow more revealing than her mothers if that was even possible and if she was really being honest... _way_ too tight.

Egypt knew she had a duty to her people but her mother said it herself, she could take a minute to be herself and this was who she was. 

After an hour or so of riding she finally made it to the village she'd been thinking of ever since she'd snuck onto her mothers ship. This was what she had been willing to sacrifice her people for. After letting her mount be taken to a private stable for a price she normally wouldn't pay but since discretion was what the stable hand dealt in she payed him triple as usual and made her way to a certain house. 

She found her love facing away from her and towards a shrine to the Flame whispering words of prayer. She waited for the figure to finish before tackling them from behind and wrapping her arms around a slim waist. " Egypt " Egypt looked into brown eyes and brushed aside thick locks of curly hair and kissed dark skin.

" Gaia " The younger girl turned in her arms and planted a kiss on her lips and smiled as she circled her arms around Egypt's neck. Egypt nuzzled closer to the other girl and breathed the smell of smoke and timber and her nose twitched only slightly with the urge to sneeze. " You're wearing my necklace " Egypt observed the necklace she had 'forgotten' the year before. It was the simplest out of all her pieces. A simple red crystal in the shape of a snake curled up with it's head held high , connected to well braided leather. " I thought it fitting after all , you took my dagger " Egypt produced said dagger from a slot in her belt where it was rarely taken out of. 

" There's something I have to tell you - " Egypt pulled back and watched as Gaia's face grew suspicious and then hard with emotion. " If this is about Indra, I told her already, I don't need her " Egypt stood taller and pulled the girl closer to her chest. She still refused to acknowledge Indra as her mother after she had sworn herself to the Flame. Indra had called her faith in the Flame foolish and life as a Fleimkepa was not one to be taken lightly. There was an argument and neither of them spoke for days and then Gaia had left a note and moved to be with the other _Fleimkepa's_ in training to Mar lan. 

Mother and daughter would barely acknowledge each other in passing the only contact with TonDc Gaia had was through Lincoln. Still, hearing the girl saying that she didn't need her mother was hurting her. Egypt knew her Indra may come off as hard or cold at times but that was who she was, who she had to become to survive her era. Her own mother wasn't as verbal as most when it came to encouragement because she never wanted to pressure them but Egypt sometimes wished for someone to help lift their mother's burden of raising them by herself. 

A father or even another mother would be fine, she just didn't want to see her mother try so hard and just fall short. She could barely remembered her own father and she knew Ageria remembered even less than her and Clarke knew very little of their father and nothing of her own. 

" I know, it's something else . " 

.....

" That's your grandfather's plan for peace ? " Gaia bit her bottom lip as she rocked back and forth on her chair with Egypt on her knees at her side grasping her hand tightly. Gaia knew that her relationship with Egypt would never had ended well but she had never expected to lose her to a war. She'd expected a war lord or a high lord to take Egypt from her not a war for power. " Gaia you're seventeen this year. You have your whole life ahead of you, a path with the flame " Egypt tried to keep her tears at bay. She had to distance herself from this if she was to do what was right for her people. She had to make a clean break and do it in a way that would be as minimally painful for the both as it could be. 

" You make it sound as if you're so much older than me. You're only twenty Egypt, this shouldn't be your burden. There must be another way " As she spoke she could hear her voice breaking and how pitiful it sounded. Egypt was the one person she had that she could call her own. Her mother didn't love her and he father was gone and her grandfather believed in the _Fleim_ the same way a child believed that their parent's could protect them from everything and anything. 

" Without sacrificing three quarters of our army ? no, this is the only way. " Egypt leaned into the hand caressing her face. Gaia was still so young and full of faith. To have utter faith in something took a special kind of trust that Egypt didn't always have time for. Yes , she prayed and made her sacrifices but she couldn't believe the same way Gaia did. She knew no matter how hard she begged the god's would never let her keep her wild fire. There always has to be a balance. In order to gain something must be lost. Reward does not come without sacrifice and nor does victory. 

" But I love you " It was almost as if a dam broke and Egypt couldn't stop saying the three words over and over again as Gaia pulled her up onto her lap for a kiss that broke Egypt all over again. "Egypt ?" Gaia pulled back to touch a tear stricken cheek now a swirl of colorful red watery war paint. She sniffled before taking a deep breath and leaning her forehead against Egypt's. " Make love to me ? " Gaia scrunched her eyes shut as the words left her mouth for the first time in her life. It was the one thing she hadn't yet asked of Egypt. The blonde had never brought it up. It have been about that for them, it was about having someone to call their own. Someone to love out of love itself and not obligation. " Yes " Egypt said after an eternity in her own head, _let this be your first and my last_

A princess lay in a small bed that wasn't the least bit as comfortable as the one in her own home back in her palace. She lay with a priest in training in her arms while breathing softly and mumbling incoherently every so often. Egypt was almost too absorbed in the moment to hear the barest scrape of metal on concrete and she moved out of the bed as best she could before slipping on her coat over her nude form and reaching for one of the many daggers she kept hidden in it.

She stalked around the corner and down the short hallway to find a warrior entering with their hood up and their back turned to her. She sprung out before they spotted her and stabbed into flesh. " Aaaahh , Egypt its me ! " Anya turned and tossed Egypt off herself and clutched at her burning shoulder. " We need to talk , but first if you could get me the antidote ? " Anya collapsed and started to shake as poison made it's way into her blood. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ta da
> 
> Leave comments 
> 
> thoughts
> 
> or questions 
> 
> Translations ; 
> 
> Trikru ;  
> forest clan
> 
> Fleim ;  
> Spirit of the commander


	18. Family issues

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> second chapter today.... : )

" So this Abby, she is your wife ? " 

" Ye- no , technically ... but then she - it's complicated " 

" And she got you arrested ? " 

" Yes "

& " And she is Clarke's birth mother ? " 

" That too " 

" Interesting " Cairo mulled over a water skin filled with wine as she reviewed the information Jake had given her. She had poured him some of her wine and he'd been somewhat hesitant at first but he'd grown to like which ended up in them spilling it between themselves. After speaking to the Sky Man for about two or three hours now she could see why everyone trusted him so easily. 

The story of Clarke's birth mother however alarmed her. She couldn't understand how someone could do that to a man like Jake. He was so trusting and kind that it was making her slightly annoyed because with every question and answer they shared the thought of killing him and keeping Clarke to herself were less and less appealing. Not that she would have done it but the thought had crossed her mind selfishly but she would never do that to her daughter. 

" And Arica is your husband ? " Jake was still processing all the data Cairo had dumped on him and he was amazed that not only had North Africa survived it had also appeared to be thriving if what Egypt said was true but considering her looks she definable was of Arabic descent. And her accent. There was something so alluring about it and part of him felt ashamed because of ... Abby. Parts of him still were loyal to her and those parts were screaming at him now and another part of him whispered that he had to move on like Abby clearly had. He listened to one of the voices and only one. 

Cairo's mouth turned up into something unbecoming of one of her rank. She knew of those who chose to be with those of their own blood. One of her captains had wed his brother and Cairo had been surprised but had said nothing it wasn't that uncommon among her people but many did frown upon it and spoke of it in hushed tones. But thinking of her father that way made her cringe and her whole body shook as if there were millions of bugs crawling all over her. " No, he's my father " 

Jake wanted to cringe and he almost did but Cairo laughed at him before he could and he became enthralled with her laugh. It was raw and had several cracks there was something so natural about it. He chuckled lightly and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. 

Cairo smiled softly despite herself, Jake reminded her of Clarke. While on the topic of Clarke, It was probably time she told Jake his daughter was alive and well and in the village. She just didn't know how. " Jake, at first I was scared of what your presence here would mean for me and my family and how you would affect us but now I know who you are. " Cairo straightened up and almost pulled her mask of princess up but after looking at Jake through dark lashes she decided against it. 

" How would I affect your family ? " 

" Because ... ... Clarke is my daughter too " 

***** ***** *****

Clarke was sitting outside with the a mixture of _Trikru_ and _Sankru_ warriors spread around a large fire with a boar roasting over it. Her brother sat next to her with Mera leaning on his back and making funny face's at Tris who tried grabbing at her curly locks with every giggle and laugh. Rayker was talking softly with Nyko who was brushing more glazing onto the boar and Clarke caught the end tail of a joke they were making about her cooking skills and she through a damp twig at Nyko and Rayker. Rayker hadn't even turned from his conversation when he caught the stick aimed for his head while his back was still turned to her. 

" What's taking mother so long ? " Clarke wondered as she bit into a piece of rabbit she'd stolen from her brothers plate when he wasn't looking. After Anya had returned she'd gone back to her house to sleep off her trip from Mar Lan and Egypt had looked sullen and had retired to her tent and had given orders not to let anyone in. Clarke had tried to talk to her but she'd pulled the cotton sheets over her head and had called her personal guard to escort Clarke out. 

Ageria cast his little sister a look and leaned back into Mera with a small sigh. " War meeting ? " Ageria shrugged and toyed with a piece of rabbit before tossing it into his mouth. He knew very well where and what his mother was doing. He also couldn't say anything till he had mothers permission. "Without one of us , I don't think so " Clarke gave her brother a look when he made a feeble attempt to move his plate out of her reach. He handed her the smallest piece of meat on his plate begrudgingly and then handed the plate over to Mera to hide from his sister. Clarke rolled her eyes at her brother and cast a longing look that sat beside Mera and Tris. It wasn't unusual for mother to slip away sometimes but for her to be gone this long.. ... 

" Clarke " The blonde turned at the sight of Indra who held a blank expression. Clarke got up and dusted herself off and came to stand in front of one of her many mother figures. Indra had changed in the last few years. She was more distant at times and Clarke knew why. Gaia leaving had taken it's toll on Indra. No one spoke of how she left in the middle of the night and disappeared. " What is it , Indra ? " Instead of getting an answer Indra turned on her heel and looked to Clarke to follow her which the blonde did without hesitation. When they came to a stop at Indra's house Clarke frowned. She remembered her mother entering when the arrived but it was little over sundown now. Clarke stood outside the door she'd seen so many times of the house she'd run through for a first few years and still did when stealing food from TonDc's best secret cook. " No matter what happens in there, you are _Klark Kom Trigedakru_ to me " Indra's grip on her arm was almost painful and the look in her eyes made Clarke uneasy. She nodded to Indra and grasped her forearm just how Indra taught her when she was younger. 

Indra left and Clarke suddenly felt anxious as she opened the door and entered the modest home. She was greeted to the sight of her mother comforting a man Clarke had never seen before and for some reason she felt she'd met him from some where before. Her mother removed her hand from his shoulder as if she had been burned and stood a good couple of feet away from him now. He was looking at her like she'd just hung the sun in the sky. He looked to Cairo for a second before she nodded and he surged to his feet with a broad smile and made to hug Clarke. The blonde was startled , not used to being touched by strangers and especially not by strange men she'd never seen, she punched him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations :
> 
> Trikru ;  
> Forest people
> 
> Sankru;  
> Sand people
> 
> Klark kom Trikru;   
> Clare of forest people 
> 
> sooooo..... 
> 
> 8 ) 
> 
> Wanna share with ya owl ? 
> 
> Wanna yell at ya owl or maybe just ask owlie a question ?


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heeyyyyyy guys! so I've been hiding under my rock for a while and stock piling chapters for all of my fics so yay.... anyways i'll try to get back on schedule.

Mera stood outside of Egypt's tent with a tray of various fruits. Egypt hadn't been at the feast or at breakfast. Ageria knew better than to bother his sister when she was having one of her moments. Something that had been happening rather often for the normally put together princess. So as the brave prince he was he sent Mera in his place while he and Rayker went to the training fields. Mera had been more than happy to deal with the eldest of the _Sankru_ siblings. 

" Egypt ? " 

" Leave me alone. " 

" Not a chance " Mera was taken aback by how gloomy the blonde sounded. Even when she was sad she normally did an awful impression of being fine that annoyed Mera to no end and continued to annoy her. Mera pushed pass Egypt's personal guard who wore their black and brown colors with stony faces. Unlike the Red Vipers who answered to Cairo and the Pharaoh the Cobra's answered to Egypt and _only_ Egypt. The Cobra's were spymasters and trained assassins that specialized in disappearing and/or making someone disappear. The cobra's had been a gift to Egypt from her grandfather. Now not even the Pharaoh could command them , their loyalty to their charge as firm as gold and Mera was surprised they didn't knock her flat on her back as she knew they could. 

Instead them seemed to _let_ her push pass them. Entering the tent she was struck by how cold it was. the small fire pit was extinguished. The tent itself was barely full. A desk and a chest in one corner and the floor covered in animals skins, some chairs around a low table and Egypt's bed tucked behind a cotton screen that was half drawn. " Get out " Egypt pulled the covers over her bare shoulders and Mera resisted the urge to drag her out of bed. Egypt's clothes from yesterday were strewn on the floor. In the time Mera had known her she'd never once seen her like this. She was always put together always the picture of perfection. She always had a sharp reply for anything or a raised eyebrow that would convey just what she meant without her having to say anything.

Mera was used to difficult royals at this point of her life. Twenty-two and at her prime she could be doing a hundred other things but instead she was in her princesses tent holding a tray of fruit. " No " Mera replied flatly and dumped the tray on a small side table she hadn't noticed before. She then proceeded to pick up the discarded clothing and throw them onto a chair before she climbed onto the bed and pressed right up to Egypt's side and crossed her arms. She ignored the cold creeping into her. She should have worn a different outfit, the cotton skirt she had on reached her ankles but had a high slit on the one side and she wore a red colored wrap around her chest that had various sequins which left her stomach bare. " I just want to be alone " 

Mera sighed at her and she didn't move an inch and started eating grapes and wondered how Rayker is handling the weather. He was never fond of the cold but she herself wasn't that opposed to it since in Sankru the night's were far colder than this and when she was younger she had a fascination and love for watching the dessert flowers bloom in the dark and watching them glow she always slept with a smile on her face even as she shivered and shook. She knew that a certain slightly stuck up princess loved them too. She'd gotten said stuck up princess a few of them and had enjoyed seeing Egypt light up and smile widely at her. 

She always got along well with Egypt and clearly she got along with Ageria. Clarke however was the difficult one to win over. Her and Cairo gave her a hard time at first but after they realized that as a tailor she had her own wealth and she wasn't interested in theirs, they welcomed her with open arms. " Too bad " Mara hit her shoulder a little too hard and Egypt groaned out. She realized she still had to talk to her mother and with her conversation with Anya looming over her, she still was mad at her ' _friend_ ' for ... what she did. She half wished she'd stabbed her in a more important area like the throat or the eye. 

" I can have you whipped for that " Egypt sat up not bothering with covering herself as she stretched and rubbed at her neck and her shoulder absently. 

_" I could have killed you, Anya " Egypt dabbed at her friend's stab wound with liquid that burned her nose hairs while Gaia had gone back to her room to emerge fully clothed and had said nothing as she helped clean the wound on Anya's shoulder. " Sure, you could kill me " Anya groaned out as her sweating intensified. " Besides, I have to talk to you " _

Mera remembered when she was younger and she would sneak out to watch the Deseret flowers glow.She asked Dorian _Is this magic_ ? and her would brother shake his head and he'd smile at her and laugh. For Mera, he lived forever in heart. In her brothers youth he had always been the explorer and Egypt had been there to comfort her when her brother ... love at it's finest to her had been taken. It was worse than when their birth parent's were killed and to hear her brother with love had left on an adventure to find new lands had died on his way home. she was forever grateful for Ageria and Egypt who had stood by her while Rayker couldn't as he trained to become the priest hat he is. 

Dorian was her family. Love was something that had come to her easily and her brother was with her in her heart like the rest of her family. She had been bitter and shallow but Ageria and Rayker and helped her Egypt too with her soft words and understanding. Mera had only been with those she'd felt a connection to, she could never do a relationship without that connection. She was similar to Egypt who would only feel attraction after she'd established a connection to someone. It was something that they could always relate to and it was probably why Egypt was so torn about the marriage proposal. Mera was no idiot and she was a rather good eavesdropper and a good warrior which was probably why the Red Vipers were scouting her. She had little interest in joining their ranks but it was a testament to her skill and she startled a little when Egypt leaned over her. 

The princess reached passed Mera and popped a grape into her mouth and ignored the cold feeling she felt inside and out. She got out of bed and made the naked walk to the chest of clothes she'd filled with random articles of clothing that were her mothers. _Most_ of them covered her properly though at this point she didn't really care. " Ha , you can try " Mera laughed lightly at the threat she knew wasn't actually empty. The look in Egypt's eyes said enough and she wondered what made Egypt like this. Sure, Egypt had her cold moments when she would exude her grandfathers presence but it would only last a few days a time but never at times like this. 

" You know I enjoy our little talks but I really want to be alone and would you mind telling my mother I need to speak to her . Thank you " Mera shook her head softly and made a face at Egypt cold tone but took her leave anyway. She could see the internal struggle the woman was facing but she knew better than to do something about it just yet. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation ;  
> Sankru ; Sand nation
> 
> As always tell Nightowl how the chapter was, or ask ze question or leave ze kudo or just plain share. 
> 
> and also I left a little hint towards the plot and ensuing drama in one of the paragraphs. If you find it lemme know and if you don't you can ask me and I'll help you find but I made it pretty easy to find. 
> 
> buuuuttt if you don't want to know since it might technically be a spoiler idk that's cool too.  
> Hint ;   
> ( look in a straightish line pointing to the bottom right in one of the last few paragraphs )


	20. preach it, Egypt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> look whose alive.... me. It's me. I'm alive. anyways.... it's been so long.... anyways the point is I'm here now.

Cairo stood at the head of the war table going over the hundreds of scenarios in her head of how the situation would play out. To say she was not expecting her eldest to stride in wearing full combat gear and throw half a dozen scrolls onto the table disrupting the flow of her work was an understatement. The room fell silent and all that could be heard was Cairo drawing in a thin stream of air before expelling it. She looked up and took in her daughter's appearance and sighed at the sight of the red warpaint. " What is the meaning of _this_ , Egypt ? " The heir shook her head and pushed the new parchments aside and went back to gazing at the carefully thought out plans before her. 

" That is the battle strategy we will be using " Egypt stated with the confidence of one being born to royalty. She stood her ground even when her mother scoffed and unbound the scrolls to look over them. She leaned against one of the many tables that held candles and water pitchers and settled her sight on her mother's face. She watched for every twitch, quirk and raised eyebrow and wondered why her mother was letting herself be read so easily. _Probably to make me seem as young and as impulsive as she can._ " This... ...could work, but if it doesn't it will result in a third of our forces dying in the first assault alone. " Egypt resisted the urge to roll her eyes at her mothers tone, as if she didn't know how many lives they would lose. She spent a good few hours working on that after she was told her mother was too busy to hold an audience with her. 

As her mother's first born Egypt wasn't used to be brushed aside so easily. So when she was told her mother wouldn't see her she had made it her mission to get her attention. Yes, her plan was drastic but desperate times called for desperate measures. " In war there are casualties, _you_ taught me that." Egypt knew for a fact that her strategy was the best her mother now possessed and she was determined to prove it to everyone else. She wasn't called the Snake Charmer for nothing and she'd be damned if she didn't get her way. " Egypt - " 

The princess in question ignored her mother and strode forward while giving all the warriors a once over. _This should be easy enough._ " All of you here know the threat we face if _Azgeda_ get's their hands on the _fleim_. Are you honestly going to tell me you'd risk living under _Azgeda's_ fist just because of the threat of death? In this world death is inevitable. Death is the one warrior all of us will face, King or commoner. I for one would gladly welcome death rather than live at the whim of the Ice king." Egypt could see them hanging on to her words. _Like snake's in a barrel_. 

" I'd rather fight and die in the greatest battle of our lifetimes than live on my knees and bow to Azgeda. They have our _natblida_ , they have our warriors.They have taken _daughters of Trikru_ and that _can not_ and _will not_ stand. Show them the might of our people, show them our fury. Let me lead you to war, let me help you bring the god's fury to our enemies. Stand with me and _I will_ reduce these traitors to sand and blood. " 

Gaia 's life depended on this . There was no room for error. She couldn't fail. She could still hear Anya's words ringing in her head. 

_" You want me to convince my mother to attack the other clans with less than four thousand warriors? because you'd need twice that number to pull off what you're planing " Egypt had shook her head as she bandaged her friends shoulder. Anya was insane if she thought she'd would endanger that many lives. " But you'll help ? " still insisting as ever Anya looked conflicted and Egypt felt for her, her mother and closest friends were stuck in a city under siege. " And what if I don't ? " Egypt had meant it in a light manner and had fully intended on helping her friends but when Anya looked her dead in the eye , face void of emotion " Then I'll tell your grandfather about Gaia " Egypt had snapped or rather.. she switched off and she'd been spiraling ever since._

" You have Ra's fire burning within you, princess. I and everyone here knows your skills of war but you are not in charge. So what say you, Sandstorm ? " Sepit was one of Sangeda's greatest generals, never having lost a battle, one of the most powerful men in the east and now his gaze was solely set on the future queen of Egypt. The Sandstorm's eye was fixed on her daughter. She had maneuvered her into a tight spot, refuse to attack and she'd seem weak and if she did , then the mantle of power would start falling towards her daughter and away from her and the people would start looking to her to make decisions and choices she shouldn't and needn't be making at her age. 

" I say ... ... ... - " She had to pause for a moment when the words seemed to be stuck and looking away from her daughter and to the warriors before her she found her words once more. " - I say sharpen your blades and poison your arrows. We _march_ on Polis " 

" _Jus drein jus dau_ n " Was the the only thing that could be heard throughout the village for what seemed like forever. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations;
> 
> Azgeda ; Ice nation
> 
> Fleim; spirit of the commander 
> 
> Sangeda ; Sand nation 
> 
> Jus drein jus daun ; blood must have blood 
> 
> You can yell at me for being gone so long in the comments : ( 
> 
> or if ya wanna share or ask questions .... you know what to do...


	21. Preparations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i have risen from the depths once more, sorry for the major wait. i hope you enjoy the new chapter and feel free to ask any questions or just leave a comment in general :]

Clarke was in full armor today as she prepared for tomorrow when she and nine hundred warriors would march to the Capitol. She was in the sparring ring with her brother, Mera and Rayker. Mera favored the dagger and whip while Rayker preferred the long sword and her brother wielded the tradition scythe that all the men of the royal family were trained to use. Clarke was outnumbered unless of course Mera would jump ship. Clarke knew her brother well enough to know that he would most likely try to fight this one alone as to stimulate a battle more accurately. Rayker was the one Clarke would have to watch out for the most knowing that he was probably the most deadly person on the field at this point.

Cairo sat atop a water drum under the trees watching two of her three children. The other one had yet to emerge from her tent and Cairo was going to her daughter about another hour before she went in there and dragged Egypt out herself. Today Cairo had chosen to wear leggings and a binding with a thin cotton jacket over it that hung open. She turned when she heard the approach of footsteps and smiled despite herself at Clarke’s father. He greeted her with a cup of fresh fruit juice and an apple for himself. 

“Good morning” Jake sang out bouncing on the balls of his feet and handing over the cup of fruit punch he’d gotten from one of the cooks. He was eager to see Clarke and finding Cairo was an added bonus. He had enjoyed hearing more about Clarke from Cairo’s point of view. It was clear that she loved his daughter and Jake was happy that Clarke had a family on the ground that loved her so much. “The tall one is Ageria?” Jake turned his gaze to the sparring field where you could see Clarke in leather armor with three others. “No, the shorter one” Jake adjusted his gaze and sure enough she caught sight of Ageria. Jake had been intrigued when Cairo invited him to watch the spar last night. Jake was anxious to see Clarke fight after hearing so many stories about her from her training days. 

He watch the four circling each other and noted that Ageria had the same strange orange-gold eyes as Cairo. He had suspected the change was due to radiation but after seeing how well Cairo could see in the dark he thought that it might be an evolutionary leap that might be tied to her genes. Jake jumped when the taller man lunged at Clarke who blocked the attack and spun away quickly. The taller man laughed and faked another lunged at Clarke. “That’s Rayker he’s my sons consort and of course you know Mera already. The three of them have been together since Ageria was Clarke’s age.” Jake nodded along to Cairo’s words and watched as they continued to toy with one another. He had guessed as much when he had spoken to Mera who turned out to be a tailor and had made him a new shirt after noticing all the holes in his old one. 

Jake was blinded by the tip of Clarke’s spear as she used it to swipe at her brother who blocked and then had to dodge Mera and Rayker who were now trading blow after blow. “They’re good” Jake said in awe of the mock battle before him. Soon he and Cairo weren’t the only ones watching the fight a small crowd of mostly teenagers and a few older warriors had gathered to watch as well. 

Clarke had swept Mera of her feet a second after Mera and Ageria had ganged up on Rayker who had lost his sword. Mera rolled out of Clarke’s way seconds before a spear was thrust into the ground beside her. Rayker had come up behind Clarke and had both fists wrapped around the shaft of Clarke’s spear using it to choke her. Clarke twisted her body away from Rayker and was then caught in a hand to hand situation with her brother who had lost his scythe to Mera. Soon it was a standoff with everyone left with only their own fists to defend themselves. Mera was the first to tap out and after picking up her dagger and splashing water over her face, came to stand beside them grinning. 

“You give up to easily” Cairo said with slight disapproval coloring her features as she regarded the woman who would most likely become her third daughter. Jake on the other hand had his eyes trained on Clarke who was impressively blocking blows from both men and yet somehow still managed to get a couple hits of her own in. “ If you always do your best at everything people will begin to expect things from you. I prefer to put up half the effort that way when I fail people will simply think I was off my game and when I win people are always so much more surprised” Mera added the last part for Cairo’s benefit knowing how much Cairo expected of her people. Both women eyes snapped to Jake when he gasped. Clarke was on her back with Rayker’s knee on her throat and behind him Ageria had his legs wrapped around his neck in an impressive bend with both his hand on the ground and his back bent in a perfect ‘U’.

Cairo saw Clarke move before anyone else and watched as she contorted her leg out from underneath Rayker and used it to knock one of Ageria’s arms away and causing him to loose balance for only a fraction of a second. Clarke looked like she was about to tap out when she finally got a grip on Rayker’s arms and managed to push him up before yanking him back down effectively breaking her brother’s balance entirely. Using the new chaos Clarke crawled to her feet gasping for breath grabbing her spear as she stumbled in her haste. With a loud cry she used the hilt of her spear and smashed it under her brother’s jaw and then used the momentum to swing at Rayker.

“It’s over.” Cairo said with a sigh, not even having to look to find the flaw in Clarke’s swing. Rayker had grabbed the spear using it to help him to his feet. A single punch to the edge of Clarke’s jaw and then a kick to her abdomen sent her literally flying and he was on her in a second with the tip of the spear at her throat. It was the raw war cry that had made her snap her head back to the field where Clarke kicked Rayker’s feet out from under him and was now standing above him with his own sword at his chest. “Go Clarke!” a loud rumble of laughter was heard from the crowd at the sight of the sky man with both fists in the sky and proud grin on his face.

Cairo was surprised at the outcome of the mock battle. Clarke had only beaten Rayker once and that was three years ago and Cairo had had a strong suspicion that the priest had let her daughter win to simply boost her confidence. Clarke was helped her brother up after having retrieving her weapon and was making her way toward her mother, Mera and Jake. Rayker wasn’t far behind with Ageria’s scythe in one hand and his sword already sheathed. Clarke handed Ageria over to their mother who inspected the damage done to his nose and after determining that it wasn’t broken, told him to go wash his face and that he put up a good fight. Mera waved their farewell as Rayker came up beside her to throw an arm around her shoulder and kissing the side of her face.

“Well done, Clarke” Cairo appraised her daughter as she slid down from her spot and cupped Clarke’s cheek. Cairo was a head taller than Clarke and about an inch or three taller than Jake who was talking a mile a minute about Clarke’s performance. Cairo suspected Clarke would grow to be slightly short than Jake or maybe she would grow to about Egypt’s height. She was a bit short for her age and by _Sankru_ standards as well. Clarke mumbled her thanks for her mother’s praise with a flush coloring her cheeks. Cairo watched as Jake pulled Clarke into an embrace which Clarke melted into and Cairo had to resist the urge to cry for some reason. They were interrupted by a warrior running to them and shouting for them to come back to the village quickly.

They were greeted by the sight of Indra and Tristan struggle to hold onto a thrashing Anya who was almost foaming at the mouth. Nyko and Lincoln both had their arms wrapped around Egypt who was screaming in _Sangedaslang_. Anya was able to thrash out of Indra’s grip and throw an elbow into her face and crushing the back of her head into Tristan’s nose. Both warriors having been disoriented had dropped Anya who sprung up and ran at Egypt looking like more of a blur than a person. Egypt bit down on Lincoln’s arm and stomped down hard on Nyko’s foot shook free of their hold and tackled Anya to the ground. Mera, Rayker and Ageria ran out of their tent the trio diving into the fight and trying to pry Anya and Egypt away from each other. Rayker was immediately thrown off by Egypt and then Ageria followed clutching his forehead and rolling in pain. Mera scrunched her eyes shut before grabbing Egypt by the hair and _pulling_. Clarke and Cairo both ran to help Mera, Clarke wrapping her arms around Anya’s waist and trying to pin her to the ground away from Egypt. Cairo gestured to Mera and both of them grabbed her arms and soon Lincoln and Nyko were back on their feet and now secured Egypt who still thrashed and taunted Anya. Indra and Tristan hand to drag Anya away after she broke free from Clarke’s hold and sent the blonde rolling into the well and the sound of Clarke’s head hitting it was sickening. 

Jake not knowing what to do checked on Clarke before running to help Indra and Tristan with Anya. It was Cairo who inevitably stopped the fight by slapping Egypt and then Anya. “ _Enough_!” Though the two stopped flaying it was clear that they were far from calm. Cairo was fuming now and everyone began to cower when she rose to her full height and both Anya and Egypt looked away but both still pulled at their human binds. “ ** _I said enough_**!” Cairo glared at the two and then grabbed each of them by the neck and dragged them into her tent and hurling them onto the floor. “You will explain why you two were acting like rabid dogs carefully and in full detail and if I find out you have lied to me, you will taste my anger. Anya speak!” Egypt made to say something but the look of fury on her mother’s face stopped her short.

“I tried to apologize for a mistake on my part and Egypt would not hear me so I sought to make her listen and that was when we began to argue and I- I threw the first punch, Majesty” Anya wiped the blood from her nose away on the back of her hand as she knelt before Cairo who sat atop her throne, jaw tense and nostrils flaring ever so slightly. “Egypt” Cairo spoke in a low voice and waited for her daughter’s response. Egypt took only a second to speak and daring took look her mother in the eye as she took a shuddering breath. “I had made it clear that I had no desire to speak to her and still she persisted to plague me with her presence. Clearly Anya thought words no longer were sufficient and that is when she struck me and I responded in equal… vigor” Egypt always knew how to choose her words and did not fail to put her talent at getting out of trouble to use. Cairo was no fool and knew that the two were purposely leaving something out and as both mother and superior she would not be deceived.

“I’m going to give you both a moment to think and then you are going to tell me the full reason behind your actions. I will not have two of my best warriors going into battle without a clear heads” Anya chanced a glance at Egypt who looked unwilling to reveal the whole truth of their fight. All Anya had wished to do was apologize for threatening Gaia. _Keryon_ knew that she would never actually follow through with her threat, she simply needed Egypt to believe that she would. Truthfully she felt that Egypt may be overacting but when Egypt had screamed at her and told her to imagine Tris’s life in the balance forcing Anya to take a step back an access things from a different angle. Thinking about it now and after having seen the Pharaoh’s fury first hand Anya felt a heavy guilt settle upon her.

“Mother, I- I please don’t be disappointed in me but I must tell you something” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations
> 
> Sankru; Sand nation  
> Sangedaslang; language of the sand nation  
> Keryon; spirit


	22. To war

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnnd a second chapter.

Indra stood beside her horse and waited for the others to gather in the square. The sun had yet to rise and would not do so for at least a few hours. They would have to march throughout the day to make to Polis by nightfall at the earliest. She had left a letter with the blacksmiths daughter to take to Gaia should she not return form battle. She looked to Clarke who was tighten the straps of her armor while Jake fussed over her while asking again if he could come with and once again getting a resounding ‘no’. Egypt and Anya were not on speaking terms however they were no longer trying to kill each other which Indra appreciated, sporting a bruise from their fight the day before. Anya held Tris in her arms trying to memorize her every feature and it only made Indra more forlorn.

Egypt had her back to her and was talking quietly with a hooded figure whom Indra had not noticed before. Cairo was further up the line speaking with one of her generals, making sure that everything was to go to plan. Cairo instructed one of the stable hands to bring her horse around and was now making her way over to Egypt. She nodded towards Indra and Egypt and her spoke quickly before the younger princess was leading the hooded figure over. Cairo then went to speak with Clarke and her father and passing Anya who had now given Tris to her father to hold and the three stood there as a family saying their farewells.

“Hello Indra” The warrior hadn’t noticed the two’s arrival and her mouth went slack when she caught sight of who stood beside the princess. Gaia looked up at her and Indra couldn’t form any words. Gaia looked different, her hair was longer and she looked thinner. She noted the nose ring was gone and instead Gaia only had a single red earing on one ear and no other visible piercings. Her dark eyes looked troubled by something. Indra wished there was more light so she could take a better look at her daughter.

“Gaia” Indra cast a look at Egypt who pressed a kiss to Gaia’s temple and left to go be with her own family. “May the spirits guide you on your journey” Indra could see how pained Gaia looked and simple flung her arms around her daughter who in turn clung to her. Both of them breathed out apology after apology. Indra hadn’t seen Gaia in almost three years and she sure as hell wasn’t going to let things get that bad again. She had come to terms with Gaia’s choice and to have her daughter in her arms once more was more than she could ask for. & Jake was standing beside Cairo and Clarke and was greeted by Egypt who apologized once more for her behavior yesterday. Jake told her not to worry about it and then asked if there was anything he could do once more. Clarke sighed and shook her head while Cairo simply smiled softly. “Perhaps he could come with and stay with the healers?” Mera appeared out of nowhere and startled everyone clearly learning from her lovers. Rayker and Ageria were readying their horses and nodded in their direction and Clarke smiled at her brothers. After all Rayker was basically family at this point. 

“No, he stays here where it’s safe” Clarke’s voice was stern and Mera held her hands out in mock surrender. Mera was definitely her favorite out of all her brother’s ... choices? Mera was older than her but rarely acted like even though she was twenty-two and had her own trade back east. Unlike with Egypt who was only twenty and tried to act like their mother sometimes. Rayker was the same and he was twenty-three though he tended to be the more level headed on in the relationship. Ageria and her got along easier since they were closer in age what with him being eighteen and her being sixteen but mostly because Egypt didn’t have a relaxed bone in her body.

“I’m a grown man, Clarke. I’m sure I could stay out of trouble if you let me come with?” Jake’s eyes resembled those of a child with his bottom lip protruding slightly he begged Cairo when she turned away he turned his gaze onto Clarke who sighed after a long pause but then her eyes lit up. “There aren’t any horses left and you’d have to walk” Clarke thought that the idea of walking to Polis might deter him from coming. Jake didn’t even take a second to think before replying. “I can ride with Cairo” & The silence was deafening with Mera suppressing a laugh at the look on Clarke’s face. Cairo simply smirked and cocked an eyebrow while placing a hand on her hip. “You can ride with who?” Cairo seemed to be taking a great deal of amusement from Jake’s new found inability to form coherent sentences. Jake looked to Clarke for help though that blonde in particular was just as speechless though not for the same reasons. “I wasn’t trying to be forward I just meant that-that I uh… Mera help me out?” Jake looked hopefully at Mera who had walked away backwards with her hands held up and joined her lovers who helped her onto the horse she would be sharing with Rayker.

“Pay no attention to my teasing, Jake. The discussion is yours and Clarkes.” Cairo bowed her head slightly and she and Egypt made their way to their horses. Cairo was first to mount and then Egypt who would be taking Lincoln’s horse while he would be marching with the other warriors to fight at the head of the army. Clarke considered for a moment and after a while she decided that keeping Jake close was probably a good idea. He wouldn’t be anywhere near the battle per say he would simply be in the forest where they would be setting up a medical station. He’d be safe with the warriors that would be stationed there. “Mount up, Sky man” Clarke was taken off guard when Jake hugged her and let out a triumphant laugh.

Jake seemed oddly fine with her riding into battle. The only thing he had said was that he trusted her to know what she was doing and that she was brave for fighting for her family and friends. Clarke feared that he would have a hard time adjusting once the battle began. She’d never been in a battle of this magnitude before and she’d never dealt a killing blow to a human before. She’d only seen minor combat in Egypt. Normally her mother and would take care of those sorts of things. She knew her brother had been blooded already. Their grandfather had seen to it himself, when he gave the order for Ageria to kill a failed assassin four years ago. Ageria hadn’t killed since then if Clarke was correct. Egypt had only ever ordered executions and preferred to not get her hands dirty. Clarke knew that her sister only reframed because when she did start fighting it was hard for her to stop.

She’d seen it before when they were children. A guard had said something inappropriate about Clarke. Egypt had turned on him so fast he didn’t see it coming and she had to be pulled off the guard much like with Anya the other day. It was worse when their grandfather patted her on the back and then had the guards tongue cut out and sent him to die in the harsh deserts of the east without his hands and eyes. Cairo on the other hand had killed on multiple occasions and Clarke was looking forward to seeing her mother in the field.

“Thank you, Clarke” Jake breathed into her hair and in an instant he was gone and Cairo was pulling him up onto her horse. Clarke frowned when she felt the need to cry, ignoring the urge she patted Scorpion on the neck before mounting her steed and securing herself in her saddle. Anya was by her side in a second mounted on her own horse and subtly trying to wipe away tears. Clarke gave her a nod and watched Anya gather herself with squared shoulders. Tristan bowed his head to them atop of his horse that he then urged to the rear where the medical supplies would be transported. “Come on, your mother’s waiting” Anya’s voice was barely above a whisper not sparing a glance back at the village where she would be leaving her daughter. Together the two rode to the head of the army to fall behind Cairo and the other more seasoned warriors. Clarke acknowledged Sepit, he was one of the more reasonable _Sankru_ generals that her mother had brought along.

Cairo waited for Indra who rode up a few paces behind the princess and after Cairo shared a nod with Indra, the war horns began to ring in the cold morning air. Clarke watched her mother reach down to unclasp her own war horn, it was fashioned out of rams horn and Clarke’s blood felt like it was curdling when her mother blew into it and all the birds in the trees scattered in hundreds of directions. She could see many of her _Sankru_ brothers and sisters raising their weapons as they hissed and shook their bracelets making it sound as if they were surround by thousands of rattle snakes. Cairo started everyone off in a fast paced trot before goading them into a fast pace. Soon the mounted _Sankru_ warriors were ahead of everyone else with Cairo in the lead. Clarke, Ageria and Egypt flanked their mother with Anya and Indra trailing behind them. Horses flew by Clarke but were careful to stay behind Cairo. Clarke rose from her saddle slightly despite knowing that her mount and that of all _Sankru_ warriors would last all the way to polis without slowing. Scorpion was used to harsher weather and was now carrying her faster and faster without warming at all. They would make Polis in good time. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> Sankru; Sand nation
> 
> questions and comments are always welcomed


	23. Take the City

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay before you read this, I would just like to point out that all things happen for a reason. 
> 
> I have also chosen to add a graphic violence description for this chapter.

Anya held a fist in the air signaling for a halt and Clarke’s eyes strained in the dark. A single nod from Anya was all that was needed and hundreds archers which included Clarke knocked and drew their arrows and waited for the signal to fire which came seconds later. Almost every arrow that was shot caught its target and those that missed were then helped by ground troop who swarmed the enemy in seconds who made no sound as they sliced through the first horde of warriors left to defend the first out wall of the Capitol. In the distance Clarke could see figures trying to climb the walls of the Commander’s tower and knew they had to move faster. Anya gave the order to divide and silently they spread out in groups, five archers, ten blades and two spear wielders per group. Twenty six groups in total would try to get as far into the Capitol as possible without alerting the enemy.

Following Egypt’s plan of attack Anya would lead their small group and take out as many guards as possible and make way for the others to join the fold. Once the walls were cleared Cairo, Indra, Ageria and Tristan would lead approximately a hundred warriors in each from the four main gates leading into and out of Polis. Indra and Ageria would block the enemy in from the east and west while Tristan would lead ground troops in through the main gates and Cairo would block the final exit in the south. Warriors of _Sankru_ that had rode in from the Dead Zone waited in the woods. They would cut down anyone able to slip past the main army. Clarke had only one issue with her sisters plan, if the enemy caught on to what was happening before they had taken the walls they could easily turn on any of the four groups and annihilate them quickly and move onto the next group since they were spread so thin. She knew it was the main reason her mother had been opposed to this line of attack however compared to her mother’s siege plan, it was the quickest way to take the city. It was also probably one of Egypt’s best moves yet and Clarke wondered what her sister was doing now knowing that she would be in the thick of the battle when it started. Egypt would be fighting in with their mother who would be taking the south gate once Anya gave the signal.

Clarke forced herself out of her head when Oni, a _Trikru_ warrior that Clarke had known since childhood looked to her for direction. Crouching low she led her team along the wall picking off anyone who was unfortunate enough to be in their path. Oni was one of two spearmen Clarke’s group had, Oni was tall and packed with muscle. She was a year younger than Clarke and was vying for an apprentice ship from one of the older warriors and what better way to prove herself than in heat of battle. Clarke suspected that Oni had dreams of one day becoming a general. Clarke’s group was done with their section of the second outer wall when out of nowhere a warrior in _Azgeda_ white war paint rounded the corner. Clarke and another archer by the name of Amu, who Clarke had trained with in Egypt, both ran forward and skidded to their knees not wasting a second before taking their shots. Not sparring a second more they sprang up and ran to catch the warrior before he hit the ground and lowered him quietly. They took their arrows out of the warrior’s body and drew them once more as the doubled back to join the others to take the next wall.

Following the trail of bodies Clarke signaled for the shields to go first in case of any surprises. Soon enough they were met with another team and together they made their way straight past the third wall. Anya was waiting for them at the fourth wall and Clarke noted that they hadn’t seemed to have lost anyone yet. Anya had foregone her bow and now had her sword drawn and a silent fury burning in her eyes. Gesturing for them to spilt up and take the wall Clarke could see a few of their warriors securing the plague supply huts and being careful to stay out of the moonlight. Once in position Clarke waited for Anya’s whistle which never came in its stead a sharp cry sounded out into the night. Clarke shrieked at her band to raise their shields in time to block the shower of arrows that rained down on them.

Clarke order a gap between be made between the shields for the archers to take their own shots at the enemy. Clarke’s widened when an enemy warrior jumped from the 9ft high wall and made to crash right into them. Clarke and the other archers were shoved out of the way so that the shield bearers could lock together forming a tight wall with the two spear wielders shoving their weapons out the inch wide gaps that had been left for them. A sickening squelch was heard seconds later as blood poured down through the slight gaps in their shield wall. Clarke swapped out her bow for her sword instead and clenched her teeth.

“Break formation and attack at will!” Clarke barked out her orders and in a blink of the eye the once quite wall turned into blood bath as warriors jumped from the tops of the wall and swarmed out from around the corners or jumped through the breaks in the ancient barrier. Picking up a shield Clarke blocked an attack from behind and only barely managing to get her sword up in time to block the next attack that shook her to the core. Clenching her jaw and grunting Clarke charged her attacker with her shield raised and then bared her sword down into their neck. Clarke didn’t have time to take in the features of the now dead woman at her feet before another attacker brought a spiked club down on her head. Clarke was no match for his brute strength and neither was her shield. The blonde cried out as the metal bent and the spikes of the club pierced the skin of her forearm and knocked her to the ground. Clarke felt panic creep into her as she tried and failed to reach her sword that was nowhere near her.

Clarke didn’t have time to close her mouth when a battle cry was heard from behind her and sword was thrust into the throat of the man on top of her. Anya in all her blood soaked glory held a hand out to Clarke who scrambled for her sword and then to her feet. Anya looked Clarke dead in the eye as she ripped the club and shield out of her arm and Clarke let out a tear filled scream. “I lost my horn, you have to signal the others!” Anya shouted with her back to Clarke as she drove her sword into the chest of girl not much older than Clarke. Clarke clawed at her belt and when the horn was pressed against her lips she forced all the air out of her lungs and winced at the loud scream that came from the ram’s horn she had been given a few hours before. Four answering claws sounded in the air and Clarke could now hear the thunder of hooves and marching boots approaching.

Clarke began to hyperventilate and Anya pushed her up against the way and punched her square in the jaw and Clarke barely kept her footing. “Clarke you are a warrior of _Trikru_ and a princess of _Sankru_! Now bury the pain and let your warrior loose” Anya’s eyes burned and the blood on her face dripped down her chin causing Clarke to feel sick. Anya gripped her shoulders painfully and something inside of Clarke snapped into place after seeing the frightened girl looking back at her in Anya’s eyes. Clarke took deeper breathes and nodded and almost bounced on her feet at the new surge of energy coursing through her. Clarke could hear Anya shouting something at their remaining allies but she paid no attention to her and focused her sights on an approaching _Yujleda_ warrior wielding a wickedly curved blade.

Leaving behind her human inhibitions Clarke ran at him and blocked his first two attacks quicker than she thought possible and after leaning as much of her weight as possible into her sword arm she swung at the man’s thick neck and this time knew to close her mouth as blood splattered across her face. “Follow me!” Anya dashed past Clarke who followed with slightly more effort in order to keep up with Anya’s longer legs. Clarke let a little relief slip into her veins when she saw Amu running with his bow drawn and a wild smile on his face. Clarke almost lost her footing but a rough hand steadied her and Clarke smiled at Oni who looked a little worse for wear with several cut’s on her face but other than that seemed well enough.

Once past the walls and into the main city square Anya shouted for a halt as a spear came flying past them. The main square was flowing with blood as the skies above began to turn even darker as clouds blocked out the moons light and the heavens were unleashed upon them. “We fight as one!” Anya’s voice somehow carried over the clash of steel on steel and the thunder that seemed to shake the very ground they stood on. Anya gave the order to start firing on the warriors scaling the walls of the Tower and then for a shields to line up on both sides of her as she lead the remaining warriors straight to the main entrance to the Tower where a horde of enemy forces were trying to break through.

“Archers!” Anya drew her own bow as well this time and knocked three arrows in at once before giving the order to fire. Clarke grabbed another arrow quickly and on Anya’s command they sent a second wave of death flying at the enemy who hadn’t realized what was happening until too late. Anya looked to Clarke and gave her a curt nod before giving the reigns of command to the young blonde. Clarke order the shields to form a wall around them as they got closer to the doors and then for the spears to join her. Accepting a short spear handed to her by Amu Clarke who roared her order to attack and effectively leaving only a handful of warriors left who had been trying to ram the doors open. Leaping over the shield wall Clarke and Amu who had thrown his bow down and now carried a curved blade, cut down those who remained.

“Do not let them!”& Clarke was shoved out of the way by Anya who recognized the voice instantly. “Mother!?” Anya’s voice was frantic and barely audible above the roar of the storm above them but she was heard nonetheless. “Anya!?” Through a small crack in the glass Clarke was able to make out Anna albeit bloodied and bruised but still alive. “Anna!” Clarke called and brown eyes snapped to hers and softened further. “Clarke! Get the doors open now!” Anna seemed to have taken charge of the Tower Guard and Clarke could hear the scrap of wood and metal being removed from in front of the doors. “What do you think you are doing!?” another voice shouted out of sight and Clarke and Anya shared a look when Anna had shouted back “Shut up, Titus!”

Clarke and Anya were pulled into a tight embrace that wasn’t nearly long enough. Anya and Clarke took note of the state of the Commander’s warriors who looked broken and beaten. Anna looked relatively fine, three fingers one her sword hand bandaged along with her abdomen and her calf. Her face was bruised in several places and her lip was busted but she still stood tall despite the obvious pain it caused her. “Where’s Lana?” Clarke asked, dread creeping into her bones at the lack of Lexa’s mother. Anna looked down at her feet and led them further into the Tower where a section had been turned into a makeshift medical bay. Lana lay on the floor with her back against the wall. Her shoulder was loosely bandaged and her thigh was covered in a thick layer of gauze. She had several scabs forming on her face and her foot was covered in the same gauze as her thigh. Worst of all were her unseeing eyes.

Clarke rushed to her side and grabbed her hand rougher than she had intended however the groan she received was what caused her heart to keep beating. “Lana” Clarke felt tears welling up in her eyes as Lana gingerly lifted her hands to touch Clarke’s face. Clarke confused as to why Lana had missed her face several times before cupping her cheek and then running her hands over the lines and curves of her face. She looked to Anna who looked away and shook her head her lips pressed into a grim line. Clarke couldn’t dwell on Lana’s unseeing eyes for long as all heads snapped to the stairs where someone was shouting to be let past and once more Clarke’s heart stopped.

At the top of the stairs stood none other than Lexa herself. Lightning and thunder cast Lexa in flashes of light and combined with the flicker of torch light she looked like something from out of this world. Clarke barreled past the guards trying to force Lexa back up the stairs and simply threw her arms around the Nightblood covered in rain and blood. Clarke only waited a second before arms wrapped around her and Lexa’s body practically collapsed against her own.

“Clarke” Lexa breathed into her friends’ hair and let out a scream when she saw her mother who was now held up by Anya. Lexa untangled herself from Clarke with the briefest of apologetic smiles and rushed over to her mother and taking in her condition. She touched Anna’s hand who shrugged away any further contact and then she moved to hug her mother and Anya with tears in her eyes. “Lexa! I told you to stay with the other _Natblida_! You disobeying my direct orders and are endagerin-” Titus looked ready to kill with the way his eyes were a light. “Rhea is dying and you need to send help before- before something happens to her!” Lexa roared back and bared her teeth at the _Fleimkeepa_. Before anyone could say anything else a high pitched scream echoed throughout the entire tower and glass shattering floors above them could be heard and yet a another scream tore through the air but this one didn’t come from above them. Things one came from outside and Lexa and Clarke’s eyes both widened in horror.

Lexa was caught between the sight of _Azgeda_ herding a bunch of refugees into the square and the sound of Juanita screaming for help about a floor above her. Princess Nia herself stood with her warriors with a wicked smile on her face. Costia with a chain around her neck the end of which was clutched in Nia’s right hand and in her left she held Luna by the hair and shoved the girl to the ground. The bag over Costia’s head couldn’t have allowed her to see much of anything and Lexa could have sworn she saw blood where the bag clung to Costia’s face as the rain came down on them. Lexa and Clarke where out the door before anyone could stop them but it was too late. The smell hit them seconds later and the savage look on Nia’s face had Lexa’s knee’s trembling. She was handed a torch from someone behind her and while looking directly into Lexa’s eyes she merely held the flame to the bag covering Costia’s head and the girls whole body was aflame in a matter of seconds.

The screams that tore their way from Lexa and Clarke’s throats were almost louder than the thunder booming around them. Firm hands yanked them back as around the tower a wall of flame burst to life and the two girls turned to see Titus with a grim look on his face at the scene before him. Nia threw the torch at the refugees this time and they too were ablaze in an instant their screams filling the air almost drowned out the sound of the war around them. From above them they could see figures being shot down from the Tower walls by _Sankru_ archers. Cairo looking like the epitome of fury and war launched herself from her horse and straight into a crowd of _Azgeda_ warriors who had formed a circle around their own princess who tied the chain in her hand to the back of her horse and laughed as she was sprung into her saddle and began to withdraw from the capitol dragging Costia’s limp flaming corpse behind her.

Suddenly Lexa was being shook and she barely registered the words Juanita was saying to her. She couldn’t stop Clarke who let out a feral cry and jumped through the flames taking her mother’s horse and giving chase to the woman who had just murdered her best friend. Without thinking Lexa made to jump through the flames and go after Nia as well but a strong grip on her shoulder stop her once more. Juanita stood beside her with desperation in her eyes. She cast a glance at the refugees that had been set ablaze and to the warriors trying to desperately put the fire out. Lexa could only guess that she was wondering if her grandmother had been burnt alive as well. “It’s too late for your lover but it isn’t too late for Rhea” Lexa’s eyes snapped up to Juanita and then to the throne room balcony were surrounded by enemy warriors. Lexa and Juanita both shared a look before running back into the Tower and bolting for the elevator where Anya and Titus were waiting for them. Anya gave her a swift nod before she and Titus ran down stairs to begin raising the lift with the help of two other warriors it almost felt as if the lift was flying. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't yell at me.... Please?
> 
> Translations:
> 
> Fleimkeepa; keeper of the flame  
> Sankru; sand nation  
> Trikru; Woods clan  
> Natblida; Night blood
> 
> Comments and questions are always welcomed.


	24. Chase part 1

Jake had never seen so much blood in his life. Nyko had ordered him to simply mix gauze and stay out of the way which was fine with Jake. However when Nyko and the other twenty trained healers and fifteen apprentice’s became overwhelmed with the amount of wounded that started coming in, Jake Griffin had been put to work and was now helping to carry in a warrior with half his insides hanging out.

Jake felt guilty each time someone new would come in and he would feel a wave of relief as they were all faces he didn’t recognize. Jake had been praying that he wouldn’t see Clarke or her brother or her sister and Cairo. He prayed that he wouldn’t see Tristan or Anya or Indra and that their friends and family were safe as well. Who he prayed to he wasn’t sure but Jake Griffin had only prayed this hard once and that was more than fourteen years ago.

Jake hadn’t experienced a storm in his life and he was hesitant to go outside when someone had shoved a bucket in his hands gesturing wildly at the outside of the tent. Jake had taken a deep breath and headed outside and was instantly drenched. He headed over to the fire were two young girls struggled to keep the fire alive. Over the fire a huge pot of boiling water was bubbling and spilling at the sides. The two girls he recognized almost immediately, they were orphans who helped Nyko with small things around the village. Kay and Yun were about fifteen and had dark skin like Indra with their hair in braids like said warriors. Theirs wasn’t nearly as long reaching only to their ears unlike like Indra’s which reached her waist. They filled his bucket quickly and silently not daring to take their eyes off the fire in case it went out and that’s when he saw it or more accurately that’s when Yun saw it. She had whipped her head around so fast that she fell and screamed one word,

“Azgeda!”

Jake’s eyes widened when he saw her. She had her horse at a full gallop and her face was pulled into a scowl. She flew past them dragging a smoldering corpse behind her and Jake felt his stomach wrench at the sight of the charred flesh. Mere moments passed when he caught sight of Cairo’s horse and his daughter a top it. She was almost standing in the saddle and pushing the animal to its limits. Clarke didn’t even glance at him as bolted past him and after whoever it was she was chasing. Jake found it strange that Clarke was chasing this woman. The Sankru army had enforced a blockade right around the territory and had been effectively cutting down everyone who tried to escape _‘justice_ ’ as Indra had put it. They spared those who begged mercy and Jake was not blind to the caution in their eyes when they placed their enemies into the holding camp to await judgment for their crimes.

A sudden fear came over him for some reason and then horror as he raced to one of four horses that were near the camp. Jake stared at the beast wearily and then clawed his way atop of it almost falling off as he kicked the horse in its sides and gripping onto the reigns for dear life. Jake feared that body he had saw might have been Egypt or Mera, it couldn’t have Cairo. The corpse looked too small, _too young_ Jake thought. Maybe it was one of Clarke’s friends that she had said were stuck in the city either way Jake was determined to help in any way he could. Unfortunately with the speed the two women had been going at and what with the storm, Jake was had gotten lost. He tried listening for the beat of hooves but all he got was the never ending rumble of thunder and he was about to start shouting when he felt his heart jump out of his body when a blinding bolt of lightning struck a tree a few hundred yards away.

Jake looked at his horse at disbelief as it stood there calmly awaiting his command. Jake would have to thank whoever was in charge of desensitizing the horses not willing to think of what would have happened if the horse had been as terrified as he was and still is. It was the loud shriek that he thought he had heard that caused him to squint more closely into the darkness.

Sure enough he heard it once more and urged his horse in the same direction praying that it was Clarke that he had heard and the she was alright. It took him some time but eventually he found Clarke pinned under a tree with her horse nowhere in sight. Clarke was clawing at the tree trying fruitlessly to lift the thing off her. The tree was almost three foot thick in all directions with its upper branches on fire. Jake swung his leg all too enthusiastically and ended up getting stuck half way off the horse and half way on the ground. Clarke seemed to have finally noticed him and her yelling ceased. Slightly. Now she had forgotten her own predicament and was yelling something at Jake.

Jake could only make out a few words and once he got the message her surged up and reached for the dagger situated in one of the saddles various pouches. Cutting himself free and knocking his head as he fell fully onto the ground he sprang up so fast that he felt the world spin a little faster. He almost slipped several times as he made his way to Clarke who looked murderous. The blonde was speaking fast and quite graphically about the things she was going to do to a person named Nia with tears in her eyes and snot dribbling down into her mouth and Jake had to shake her out of her state in order to get through to her.

The look on Clarke’s face broke Jake’s racing heart and he moved closer to shield her from the pelting rain and cradle her head awkwardly in his lap. Clarke was hyperventilating from crying so hard and Jake calmed her as best he could as he breathed in and out with her for what seemed to be a dangerous amount of time considering Clarke was pinned under a burning tree. “I-I couldn’t save he-her. I did-n’t even look for her! If I- h-had looked for her myself maybe I-I could have saved her. She’s dead and I could have saved her. I just stood there an- and watched her b-burn. Dad, what did I do? Why didn’t I _do_ anything?” Clarke felt her heart begin to ache now that the fury and shock was loosening its grip on her mind. It was like a gaping hole had opened in her chest it felt like she was being stabbed from the inside out and she didn’t know if the cold sensation that raced its way through her body was from the cold and the rain or from her chest where the pain was the strongest. “Costia burned and all I did was watch” Clarke whispered to herself in disbelief and disgust she shook her head from side to side as she whispered it to herself over and over again.

Jake sucked in air through his nose. He’d seen a drawing of Costia that Clarke had done. She was sitting against a log with Clarke and Lexa. Anya and Indra were off to the side and Lincoln, Tristan and Nyko stood on the opposite side, all of them smiling. Jake had heard many stories about Clarke and her friends and Jake knew that this loss wasn’t going to stop hurting, not for a long time. Jake tried shushing her while his eyes darted around looking for way to lift an entire tree off his Clarke. “Nia didn’t even take her hood off before she- before she… I failed my family… … I f-failed Lexa. Lexa... she’s ne-never going to for-forgive me. It’s all my fault, dad” Jake sucked in a breath at Clarke’s words the first time she had called him ‘Dad’ he thought he had misheard but there as clear as day Clarke had called him her _dad_ once more. His joy was short lived due to him needing to find a way to get Clarke to focus on their current problem.

“Clarke, you stormed a city and _you fought_ to get to _your family_. You can’t save everyone, Clarke, not in war. Now I need you to be the head strong warrior I _know_ you are and help me help you.” Jake kept his eyes on Clarke who nodded frantically and Jake had a feeling she was trying to ignore the pain. The next time Clarke spoke she only stuttered once while telling Jake that there should be a horn by the saddle bag and that he should blow into it seven times as loudly as he could.

Jake who was hesitant to leave Clarke ran as fast as he could without losing his footing and ruffled through the various pouches and cursed when he found the horn hanging right in front of him next to drenched blanket that was rolled up on the saddle. Jake was on his fourth blow when he heard the sound of hooves approaching and recognized Rayker on the first horse coming towards him.

What scared Jake the most was the sight of Rayker’s arms that were covered in blood up to his biceps looking like he had torn his way through the battle with his bare hands. Upon a closer inspection Jake noted that there were shades of crimson near his mouth that he had clearly tried to wipe away and that his neck was wet with blood. Not his, that much was certain from the way he talked. Jake shivered at the thought of how the man before him had come to look like this. Rayker snapped him out of his thoughts with a hand waving in front of his face. “Jake are you alright?” Rayker’s accent was thicker now and Jake found it comforting as he was reminded of Cairo’s accent. Jake assured Rayker that he was fine and the two rushed over to the other three warriors that had been with rider. The three of them were receiving instructions from Clarke and Rayker and Jake took their places and after getting good grips, began to lift. It only took slight readjusting and a lot more strength that Jake wasn’t aware he had.

“How’d you find us?” Jake asked as they held the tree up as Clarke wriggled and then dragged herself out from underneath and then helped them move the tree off the main road. Jake was in awe of the raw power Rayker and Clarke displayed and he now knew why Indra’s father had been so open to the treaty between _Sankru_ and _Trikru_. _Sankru_ produced cotton and linen along with copper and iron and traded with a few of the other clans keeping the best goods for their _Trikru_ brothers. _Trikru_ would send cedar and oak which were used for furniture and most importantly the making of ships. According to Indra, _Sankru_ had the second biggest fleet to grace the waters of the known world. They were truly a force to behold and Jake felt honored to be part of their world.

“This one can track a fly in a sandstorm” Clarke was thankfully unharmed and calmer now that she had an audience and everyone seemed grateful for the calm moment. She tossed a forced smile onto her face and Rayker seemed to catch the intention behind it. She didn’t want to seem _weak_. Rayker scoffed though it sounded too genuine to be fake and out of the darkness he lead a horse towards Clarke and she gladly accepted the reigns after sharing a quick word with animal. Jake realized that Clarke was speaking Arabic and was instantly enthralled with the way the language rolled off her tongue, like she was born to speak it. “Mother’s horse can stand the noise of battle but at the slightest rumble of thunder he spooks.” Clarke explained suddenly embarrassed at having been knocked off her horse. Clarke went from embarrassed amusement to brows furrowed so fast Jake was worried that she might’ve gotten hurt and not told him. Rayker put a blood stained hand on Clarke’s shoulder and gave her shoulder a squeeze his voice turned solemn.

“We should get back to Polis, the Conclave begins in the morning.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations;  
> Sankru; Sand nation  
> Trikru; woods clan
> 
> If thou has any questions or comments, I am at your service as always


	25. Something in the City

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've finallllllllyyyy had my new wifi installed after months..... i mean i didn't loose my shit or anything noooo i- yeah no that shit was tough. trust me guys you don't want to have to haul ass and work at your grandparents house....just.. no.

Lexa had never felt so empty in her life. After she and Juanita made it to the throne room and disposed of the enemy assassins and secured the floor, Lexa had sat next to Rhea who could barely open her eyes. Lexa sat there holding the little girls deathly cold hands in her own. Lexa was trying to remember the last thing she had said Costia. The shame she felt for not remembering brought hot tears to her eyes. Closing her eyes and focusing harder she remembered sneaking out to see Costia. The younger girl wanted to go to a small party in the woods. It had something to do with liquors and the last feast before winter. Costia said she wanted to have fun like they used to. Lexa had told her that she couldn’t and that she had training. Costia had been upset, she wasn’t used to being alone. She told Lexa it was fine and that she would go on her own. 

In recent weeks Costia had been getting restless and wanting them to spend more time together. Lexa had tried to explain to Costia that as much as she wanted to she just couldn’t. Lexa was going to surprise Costia as an apology for being so busy. She was going to take Costia to the stream near the training grounds. There was a cave nearby that Lexa had brought candles and furs to. She and Costia had talked about being… together in that way but Lexa was hesitant. She was afraid that Costia would not like her… inexperience. Costia had only been intimate with one other person and that was the year Costia went back to _Podakru_ with her family to look after the woman who had raised her father after his own mother had passed.

She said it was brief and didn’t mean anything. Lexa hadn’t been jealous or angry. It was before Lexa had confessed her feelings and so it didn’t mean anything to Lexa. It was in the past and soon Costia would be too. Lexa thought back to their time as children. It was her first year without Clarke and Lexa was missing her more than she thought possible. Clarke was normally the instigator in their group and Lexa was quick to chime in with Costia hesitantly joining in on the fun. This year however Clarke was across the ocean and Lexa was alone with Costia. Lexa had learnt then that Costia brewed a quite storm of her own whereas Clarke was the loud adventurous and daring hurricane.

Lexa also learnt that Costia was quite the little jewelry maker. Always making bracelets and necklaces out of anything she could find. Lexa had become fascinated with Costia’s crafts in the same way she was with Clarke’s drawings. Lexa knew her mother hadn’t appreciated the fact that Lexa would sneak off with Costia and hide away to make trinkets in silence rather than train and prepare for her future. Lexa returned to her routine of training after her mother had told her she couldn’t play with Costia anymore if she kept on skipping her lessons. Costia had been the one Lexa could rely on for peace and calm and Clarke was one she could count on in a fight or when it came to eating her vegetables for her. Lexa smiled at the memory of the three of them. Clarke’s big blue eyes and chubby cheeks, Costia’s grey eyes and small hands and even herself running around after them both with her short legs.

Titus’s voice had jarred her out of her reminiscing. He told them to all go and wash up to prepare for the Conclave. Lexa and Rhea were the only ones left in throne room after the others had all shuffled out. “Lexa, you must go clean yourself, leave her to the care of the healers.” Lexa was aware of her need to bathe and that fact she was supposed to enter the conclave of clean mind and spirit but the thought of leaving Rhea alone made her uncomfortable. “You all lost loved ones _Leksa_ but today will mark the Ascension of a new Commander and a new era. Remember my teachings and let the spirits guide you to your fate. Now go prepare yourself” Titus was surprisingly gentle when Lexa kissed rhea’s forehead and began to slowly walk to her death.

“Titus what do you mean by ‘we all lost someone’?” Lexa turned her head slightly to look at the man who had a somewhat disapproving look on his face. “The people that Azgeda burnt last night were all family members and friends of the other natblida” Lexa sucked in a shallow breath and stumbled when the Tower Guard nudged her through the throne room doors and pushed her towards the stairs. Why would they do that? It was a sure fire way to get every single natblida to hate them. Why would Azgeda do something so stupid? Taking from every one of them in this way would ensure no matter who won, Azgeda would not gain anything. They gained no favor by doing this so what was their agenda and why would they ally themselves with two other clans that were nowhere near Azgeda. Lexa was so far into her thoughts that she did not her Juanita who was taking the stairs two at a time to catch up to Lexa. Lexa could have sworn Juanita had been one of the first to leave the throne room.

“We should talk about the conclave” Juanita was surprisingly full of energy as she spoke and when Lexa cast her a look she seemed to remember that she was still supposed to be in mourning. Lexa hadn’t had a chance to speak with Juanita last night after what happened with Costia. Juanita was nowhere to be seen though Lexa wasn’t surprised since all of the nightbloods had been distracted to say the least. Never in their history had something like this happened. Right now Lexa had to focus on not losing her footing and killing herself before the Conclave. Juanita’s instant presence since all this began was a comforting break from her new reality.

“What about it?” Lexa asked sighing as they made their way down the endless flights of stairs. Something was starting to gnaw at her and she couldn’t figure out what. All Lexa knew was that there was something coming something dangerous. It was that feeling she had felt before the siege it was just something in the air itself that called to her. “Lexa you and I know that the only fight will be between ourselves and Luna” Juanita looked at her pointedly as if Lexa was supposed to come to some sort of realization and frankly Lexa wasn’t in the mood to play the game today.

“What are you saying?” The brunette was tired and grief struck she wanted to get the Conclave over and done with. The sooner the better. “I want us to be allies” the grip on her forearm was tighter than she expected and something in the other nightbloods eyes wasn’t right, something was off but she didn’t know what. “You know that only one of us will come out of this alive?” Lexa ripped her arm out of Juanita’s grip and almost threw herself down the stairs with the force she used. “Yes, so why shouldn’t it be one of us?” Juanita looked almost desperate and Lexa could only walk away faster this time.

* * *

Jake woke to the sound of moving water and something soft beneath him. Letting out a soft roar of a yawn he sat up and was greeted by the walls of finely made tent and warm morning light. He sat up confused and groaned when his head began to spin, he shouldn’t have gotten up so fast. To his left there was a thin curtain separating the bed from the other side of the tent. “ _Hal ’ant bakhyr?_ ” It was Egypt’s voice that he heard on the other side of the curtain. There was movement and then the sound of water moving. Jake made to get up and then realized he had no clothes on other than his underwear and his eyes bulged out of his head. _Where are my clothes?_ He thought panicked as he wrapped a blanket around his waist and began to search for clothes. 

“ _Nem_ ” Jake’s entire body turned to the sound of Cairo’s voice and he bashfully made his way to the curtain after his search for clothing turned up futile. He cleared his throat before rounding the corner to find Cairo in a large metal tub filled with steaming water. Egypt sat on a crate near the tub with her legs crossed, turning a cloth over in her hands with a frown. “Jake, you’re awake” Cairo had her eyes closed and Jake had to avert his gaze to the tent’s entrance. This must be Cairo’s tent and he had no idea how he had gotten here or why he had no clothes. 

“You pasted out last night, in the healers tent?” Cairo still hadn’t opened her eyes but Egypt smiled up at him and smirked a little at his flustered sate. Egypt was strikingly like her mother one might even assume that they were sisters rather than mother and daughter. However Egypt was more leaner than her mother and shorter though she was about Jake’s height. It was also the way that Egypt’s jaw was set, slightly wider than her mothers and Jake guessed she got that from her father. Cairo had spoken briefly about him saying that he died a few months after Ageria was born when Egypt was about two. Jake heard Egypt chuckle and Jake suddenly recalled why he had passed out.

A woman had gone into labor last night and Nyko had asked him to help deliver it. Jake had passed out from exhaustion and dare he say it, **_labor_**. Jake had witnessed Clarke’s birth and was fine though he had mostly kept his eyes on Abby. Jake’s eyes had widened when he caught sight of the baby’s head crowning and the last thing he remembered for sure was someone carrying him out but that still didn’t explain his lack of clothes. “Um... where are my clothes?” Jake had to clear his throat several times in order to get the words out and both mother and daughter laughed at him sharing a look when Cairo finally opened those golden eyes of hers. “Your clothes were wet and I wasn’t going to let you into my bed in that state.” Jake’s jaw dropped and he looked behind to the bed and sure enough the other side had definitely been used.He cast his eyes back to Cairo and didn’t know what to say exactly… had they….?

“Fear not Jake, I prefer my food awake when I choose to _indulge_ myself” Jake exhaled a breath he hadn’t known he had been holding and his shoulders relaxed to the point where the felt comfortably loose once more. Cairo said something to Egypt in their foreign language and the other princess got up to fetch a robe. Jake hadn’t realized that Cairo had intended to get up in that exact moment and adjusted his gaze too late. Cairo had risen in one fluid movement and stood bare as the day she born with water running down every inch of her body. Egypt didn’t seem to mind at all and simply threw the robe over her shoulder and helped dry her mother off with a fine white towel. Cairo had turned her head towards him and kept her eyes on his face from over her shoulder. Jake resisted the urge to return her stare for fear that his eyes may … linger on other parts. He’d never had this problem with Abby, even as a teenager but then again Abby’s body was the polar opposite of Cairo’s. And Abby defiantly wasn’t as shameless as Cairo. 

Cairo sighed after stepping out of the tub and slipped on the robe that hid nothing at all since it was made of a see through maroon material. It was beautifully made and had two gold leaves that severed as clasps and that was the only other detail to it apart from the fact that it plunged down Cairo’s front and stopped about an inch below her belly button. “Go find you sister and have breakfast sent to my tent” Cairo dismissed Egypt with a wave of her hand before turning her head slightly and adding, “And find some clothes for Jake”

Egypt left with a curt “Yes, mother” and waved to Jake who almost fell over as Cairo brushed past him to go sit on the bed to begin to brush her hair. Jake gulped at the sight there was something about the way Cairo was angled and the arch of her neck that called to him and he found himself standing behind her within in seconds. To his surprise she actually seemed startled if her slightly widen eyes were anything to go by. Jake took pride in the fact that he had finally been able to one up the frustrating woman before him. Cairo didn’t say anything and simply turned back around and handed the brush to him and Jake cradled the side of her face gently as he began the slow process of brushing long blonde locks that had turned dark in their wet state. Jake stood like that for a long time simply brushing Cairo’s hair and once he was done and had handed her the brush back she slowly placed it on a crate he hadn’t known was there and stood still for what seemed like a long time breathing heavily. 

When she turned Jake didn’t shy from her gaze as he normally did and this time he straightened up and even dared to smirk a little. Cairo was considerably taller than him and she made her way over to him in quick easy strides and Jake took a step closer and Cairo was thrown off balance and grabbed his elbow to steady herself. His eyes snapped to hers and all hints of Cairo’s normal playfulness was lost. She cast her gaze to his lips once before grabbing his face in her hand and crashing their mouths together. To say Jake’s legs gave out was an accurate statement because they did and soon he found himself on his back with Cairo on top of him. 

* * *

Clarke’s knuckles were bloodied and her face was grim as she looked at her brother for a second before both she and Rayker bolted out of the dungeons and straight for the Tower above them. This war wasn’t over and Lexa was in danger and if Clarke didn’t warn her in time it would be too late to save her friend. There was an agent of _Azgeda_ in the Tower hiding in plain sight and Lexa was a deer caught in a hunters gaze and she didn’t even know it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations: 
> 
> Podakru: Lake people  
> Hal ’ant bakhyr? : Are you fine/okay?  
> (Arabic)  
> Nem : Yes  
> (Arabic)  
> Azgeda: Ice nation


End file.
